J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Members of Kashmiri Hindu Samiti (Karnataka) burning an effigy of Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah in Bangalore on Sunday, in protest against the autonomy resolution passed by the Assembly. — PTI photo

BJP to continue agitation
JAMMU, July 2 — The State unit of the BJP has decided to continue its agitation against the National Conference demand for restoration of greater autonomy till Parliament rejected the Autonomy Committee report and the resolution adopted by the State legislature.

• Cong to launch stir against NC’s autonomy demand

Four militants killed, skeletons of 2 found
SRINAGAR, July 2 — Two militants were killed and skeletons of two militant brothers recovered in separate incidents in north Kashmir, an official spokesman said here today.

APHC meeting postponed
JAMMU, July 2 — The meeting of the All Party Hurriyat Conference executive committee for deciding over the name of the leader win would head the conglomerate has been postponed.

Four Leh villages to have power
SRINAGAR, July 2 — Four far-flung villages of Leh district in the frontier region of Ladakh, which have been without electricity, would be provided power supply shortly, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah has said.

Night curfew in border belt
JAMMU, July 2 — Night curfew has been clamped in the 5-km border belt along the Indo-Pak border in Jammu district.

Tourist arrivals pick up in Kashmir
SRINAGAR, July 2 — Tourist traffic to Kashmir is picking up with 58,709 holiday-makers having visited the valley till June this year, officials said.

BJP to continue agitation
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, July 2 — The State unit of the BJP has decided to continue its agitation against the National Conference demand for restoration of greater autonomy till Parliament rejected the Autonomy Committee report and the resolution adopted by the State legislature.

Stating this at a press conference here today the BJP President, Mr D.K. Kotwal, alleged that the move for securing restoration of pre-1953 constitutional status was “dangerous.” We will not allow any reversal of the existing constitutional arrangement in the State,” he asserted.

Mr Kotwal said a high-level delegation of the BJP would be visiting Delhi shortly to explain to the party high command the serious implications of the demand for greater autonomy. He blamed the Chief Minister for playing a “dangerous” game and explained that greater autonomy would weaken the State-Centre relations and encourage separatists besides giving wrong signals to the world.

He said “we will fight against it even if it meant conflict with the Central Government.”

Mr Kotwal expressed his anguish over the way the National Conference, including ministers converted the special session of the State Assembly into an “anti-India forum.” He said the Centre should take a serious notice of the way the NC ministers tried to build anti-India and anti-Centre hysteria on the floor of the Assembly. He criticised the National Conference leadership for holding the Central Government responsible for any failure in the State. He added that by doing it the ruling party had tried to “conceal its failure which are too conspicuous to be kept behind the veil.”

The BJP chief lambasted, Dr Karan Singh, and his son, Ajatshatru Singh, Minister for Information, for trying to denigrate the name of Maharaja Hari Singh, the last Dogra ruler of Jammu and Kashmir. He said it was shocking that the former maharaja’s son and grandson had been dubbing a great patriot like Maharaja Hari Singh, as a villain of the piece with Dr Karan Singh saying that the maharaja wanted to remain head of an independent State and his grandson accusing him of planning to accede to Pakistan.

Mr Kotwal said that the Kashmir problem has been the creation of the “blunders” committed by the first Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, and now Ajatshatru Singh was maligning the name of his grandfather simply to retain his ministerial post.

Cong to launch stir against NC’s autonomy demand
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, July 2 — The Jummu and Kashmir the unit of All-India Youth Congress has decided to launch one-month-long multi-dimensional agitation in the state in protest against the NC demand for greater autonomy and to press for the banning of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Bajrang Dal.

This was disclosed by the President of the Youth Congress, Mr Yogesh Sawhney, at a press conference here today. He urged the Centre to dismiss the Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah for getting the autonomy resolution adopted in the state legislature because the demand for greater autonomy would ultimately strengthen anti-India forces seeking the liberation of Kashmir.

Mr Sawhney was critical of the BJP-led NDA government for adopting soft postures towards Dr Farooq Abdullah on an issue which could lead to the disintegration of the state and the country. He said that possibly the BJP was supporting him because the Central government needed the support of four NC MPs for its survival in the Centre.

The Youth Congress President also opposed the demand for the trifurcation of the State adding that it was necessary for the integrity of the country to keep Jummu, Ladakh and Kashmir regions together.

Mr Sawhney announced that to prevail upon the Central government to reject the autonomy community report and ban the VHP and the Bajrang Dal the Youth Congress workers would resort to rail-roko Andolan at Kathua on July 4, rasta-roko Andolan at Rajouri on July 13 followed by demonstration at Poonch and blocking of National Highway at Udhampur on July 20. Demonstrations and dharnas, he added, would be held at Doda, Srinagar and in Leh.

Four militants killed, skeletons of 2 found

SRINAGAR, July 2 (PTI) — Two militants were killed and skeletons of two militant brothers recovered in separate incidents in north Kashmir, an official spokesman said here today.

Two militants, one of them identified as Mohammad Sideeq Mir, were killed in an encounter with security forces at Dardsuof Kupwara village last night, the spokesman said.

An AK assault rifle, a pistol, five grenades, a wireless set and some ammunition were recovered from the deceased militants, he said.

The police recovered two human skeletons from Kudara forest in Bandipora area of Baramula district today. The skeletons were of two militant brothers — Sarwar Khan and Roshan Khan. Both belonged to the banned Hizbul Mujahideen, he said.

The duo had got injured in an encounter with forces in October last year, the spokesman said, adding that they were involved in a number of militancy-related incidents including killing of one Haleem Khan at Chontmulla.

The father of the deceased, Shafi Khan identified the two skeletons to be of his sons who had been missing after the October encounter, the spokesman said.

APHC meeting postponed
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, July 2 — The meeting of the All Party Hurriyat Conference executive committee for deciding over the name of the leader win would head the conglomerate has been postponed.

Two reasons are said to have prompted the senior leaders of the party to delay its decision on electing its chairman after Syed Ali Shah Geelani’s term expired in April.

First, the JKLF chief, Moh. Yasin Malik, has left for Delhi for medical check-up. Mr Malik’s heart has a heart ailment. The chief of Awami Action Committee, Maulvi Omar Farooq, is in Delhi. Both Malik and the Maulvi are influential in the Hurriyat Conference and no decision on the leader who would head the organisation can be taken in their absence.

Secondly, the issue has become ticklish after Syed Ali Shah Geelani has evinced interest in continuing to head the organisation. His supporters have argued that since Mr Geelani was in jail for a period of more than six months he could not complete all the plans of restrengthening the Hurriyat Conference.

After the Government of India sent feelers to the Hurriyat Conference for starting talks and following the state Assembly passed the resolution seeking restoration of greater autonomy to the state, the Hurriyat leaders feel almost “rattled.” Staunch pro-Pak elements have started suspecting them of having secret understanding with some Central Government leaders and others are of the opinion that the National Conference has taken the wind out of the sails of the Hurriyat Conference by adopting the autonomy resolution in the Assembly.

In addition to this, various constituents of the Hurriyat Conference are at loggerheads with one another.

Keeping in view these developments the Hurriyat leaders do not want to take any hasty decision which would caused vertical split in the organisation. A senior Hurriyat leader said “we are not in a hurry to reject or accept the indirect offer of talks from the government. We are in a hurry to decide on who should head the organisation.”

They seem to be unanimous on one issue that India should favour tripartite talks instead of bilateral talks so that Pakistan too could be taken into confidence while hammering out a solution of the Kashmir “dispute.”

One thing seems to be definite. So long Pakistan continued to aid militants, Hurriyat leaders would remain relevant to the Kashmir situation. Similarly so long there was no viable alternative to the National Conference Government, Dr Farooq Abdullah would continue to be relevant. The adoption of the autonomy resolution has helped him to become more relevant in Kashmir than any other political leader.

Four Leh villages to have power

SRINAGAR, July 2 (PTI) — Four far-flung villages of Leh district in the frontier region of Ladakh, which have been without electricity, would be provided power supply shortly, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah has said.

Dr Abdullah said appropriate measures would be taken for early installation of diesel generating sets in Wanla, Chushul, Terchey and Takshi Pachathang villages in Leh district to meet the power requirements of the people of these areas, according to official sources here today.

This assurance was given by the Chief Minister to state Housing and Urban Development Minister Koushak Togdan Rinpochey and Minister of State for Agriculture T. Namgial when they called on him.

The two ministers discussed various issues of public importance with the Chief Minister and apprised him of the problems of the people, the sources said.

The Chief Minister said various measures will afoot to accelerate the pace of development in the border districts of the Ladakh region which would go a long way in improving the socio-economic conditions of the people.

Night curfew in border belt

JAMMU, July 2 (PTI) — Night curfew has been clamped in the 5-km border belt along the Indo-Pak border in Jammu district.

The curfew, from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. in areas from Chakla to Narojian, would remain in force for two months from today, official sources said.

Tourist arrivals pick up in Kashmir

SRINAGAR, July 2 (PTI) — Tourist traffic to Kashmir is picking up with 58,709 holiday-makers having visited the valley till June this year, officials said.

However, the figure is far less than last year when 1,47,884 tourists visited Kashmir till June, they said.

The officials said they expected a good number of tourists in the coming months especially during the Amarnath yatra commencing from July 13.