J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Farooq blames Pak for massacres
SRINAGAR, Aug 2 — The Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, today accused Pakistan and its lackeys for the massacre of innocent persons in Kashmir.

Hand over J&K to Army: Panun Kashmir
JAMMU, Aug 2 — Panun Kashmir led by Dr Agni Shekhar, held a massive demonstration on the Jammu-Akhnoor road in protest against the massacre of over 80 Hindus, including 32 Amarnath pilgrims, by the militants during the past two days.

3500 pilgrims leave for holy cave
SRINAGAR, Aug 2 — A batch of 3500 pilgrims left the base camp at Pahalgam this afternoon for onward trek to the holy cave after the curfew was lifted this afternoon.

J&K staff to get 15 pc more DA
SRINAGAR, Aug 2 — The Jammu and Kashmir government today announced release of 15 per cent dearness allowance in cash to its employees with effect from July 2000.

War starts off among militants
From M. L. Kak
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Aug 2 — Will the ceasefire announced by the Hizbul Mujahideen lead to war between the pro-Pakistan militant groups and those favouring talks with the government?

This question has assumed significance following the strength demonstrated by anti-negotiation militant groups in killing more than 78 persons during the past two days. During the past 10 years there has never been massacre of 78 persons in a span of less than 14 hours.

Except for a sporadic grenade attacks there has never been a determined bid to massacre about 30 Amarnath pilgrims and that too in the high security zone of Pahalgam, during the past 10 years.

Finding themselves caught between the devil and the deep sea the pro-Pakistan militant groups, dominated by foreign mercenaries, carried out desperate attacks on the soft targets simply to kick up communal turmoil not only in the state but also in the rest of the country. They have executed 78 Hindus, including 26 labourers from Bihar, at two places in South Kashmir.

Attempts to kick up communal trouble was aimed at sabotaging the proposed talks between a section of separatists and the Government of India. And these foreign mercenaries-dominated rebel outfits wanted to demonstrate that the ceasefire announced by the Hizbul Mujahideen was not a way to usher in peace and normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir.

They have exhibited their strength to kill whenever and wherever they like. This has unnerved the Hizbul Mujahideen. The Hizb leadership had come under heavy stress and it was planning to retrace its steps by making an excuse that the Government of India had laid conditions for talks.

Reports received here from Islamabad said the Hizbul Mujahideen supremo, Syed Salahuddin, had stated that his outfit may retrace its steps in case India laid conditions for talks and did not include Pakistan in the proposed parleys. This excuse was being made despite the fact that both the Union Home Minister, Mr L.K. Advani, and the Kashmir Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, announced that despite offensive launched by the foreign mercenaries talks would be held with the separatists.

This, according to observers, has indicated that the Hizbul Mujahideen was trying to wriggle out of its commitment only under pressure mounted by pro-Pakistan militant groups.

National Conference supporters blamed the Government of India, print and electronic media for having elevated Hizbul Mujahideen activists to the status of heroes. They said the newspaper reports and the electronic media comments and news bulletins had predicted peace and normalcy soon after the Hizb ceasefire. They said this peeved the rebel outfits dominated by foreign mercenaries who did not want the Hizbul Mujahideen to steal the show.

Kashmir watchers are of the opinion that the ceasefire announced by the Hizbul Mujahideen had encouraged the state government and the security agencies to be lax. They were under impression that the ceasefire would ensure peace but instead it laid a trap for security forces.

These watchers express fear that in case militants keep on calling the shots Hizbul Mujahideen activists may not be in a position to retaliate. In that case the only alternative left with them was to go back to their pre-ceasefire position which would be a major loss for the government and those agencies which were for a settlement of the turmoil through talks.

There is still time for the government to arrest the drift in the security situation and prompt the Hizbul Mujahideen and the Hurriyat Conference to start talks. This can materialise only if the foreign mercenaries operating in Jammu and Kashmir were tamed to a large extent.

In the light of the fast deteriorating security environment the proposed talks between the separatists and the government have come under a shadow. And the government has sufficient evidence to prove that Pakistani agencies have incited foreign mercenaries to strike in a big way to sabotage the proposed talks. On the one side the Pakistan Government did not oppose the proposed talks but on the other its agencies, including the men from its regular army, who have sneaked into Jammu and Kashmir, have manipulated the strikes to create major law and order problem which may either force talks to be abandoned or cause inordinate delay.

Farooq blames Pak for massacres

SRINAGAR, Aug 2 (PTI, UNI) — The Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, today accused Pakistan and its lackeys for the massacre of innocent persons in Kashmir.

“Pakistan and its lackeys have stooped too low to indulge in such barbaric acts to sabotage the peace process, hope for which was generated by the unilateral ceasefire by the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen and consequent suspension of offensive by the security forces against them,” he said in a statement here.

He termed it as a dastardly act and said this would shake the conscience of mankind and once again expose the nefarious designs of Pakistan which was hell bent on shedding the blood of innocents in the otherwise pious land of Kashmir.

He, however, expressed the confidence that savage acts of senseless elements would not deter the people from pursuing the path of dialogue to restore peace.

The Chief Minister said the process of dialogue must continue and taken to the logical end despite such provocation and frustrate the designs of the perpetrators of violence.

Dr Abdullah said no words were strong enough to condemn the brutal act and the people of Jammu and Kashmir shared the grief of the bereaved families.

Referring to the killing of Bihari labourers at Qazigund and Achhabal, the Chief Minister said these people had come all the way from Bihar for the development of the state and it was very unfortunate that even they were not spared by the perpetrators of the mindless violence.

Meanwhile, the state Cabinet today held an emergency meeting in the wake of the stepped up militant attacks since last evening.

The emergency meeting, chaired by the Chief Minister reviewed the overall law and order situation in the state.

The Cabinet adopted a resolution strongly condemning the killing of innocent people by Pakistan-sponsored militants and their attempt to undermine the effort to restore peace in Jammu and Kashmir.

The Cabinet also ordered an ex-gratia payment to next of kin of the victims.

Hand over J&K to Army: Panun Kashmir
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Aug 2 — Panun Kashmir led by Dr Agni Shekhar, held a massive demonstration on the Jammu-Akhnoor road in protest against the massacre of over 80 Hindus, including 32 Amarnath pilgrims, by the militants during the past two days.

Shouting anti-Farooq and anti-Centre slogans the supporters of Panun Kashmir demanded the imposition of central rule in Jammu the hand over of entire state to the Army and a free hand to the security forces in dealing with the fresh challenge posed by militants.

The resolution said under the present critical situation the Centre should abandon its programme of holding talks with the separatists. It also demanded security cover to the migrant camps in the Jammu region. Dr Shekhar said the migrant camps were without any security cover and there were fears among the displaced families that they could be the next target of the militant grenades.

Reacting to the massacre of Hindus at several places the Peoples’ Initiative on Peace and Unity (PIPU), comprising Panun Kashmir, the Jammu Joint Students Federation and the Ladakh Buddhist Association, condemned the killing of innocent pilgrims.

In a statement PIPU leaders blamed the state and the central governments for the major drift in the security situation in the state.

Senior leader of Panun Kashmir, Dr Ajay Chrungoo, said the Centre had shown total lack of perception of the Kashmir turmoil with the result it was adopting, at times, conciliatory and, on the other occasions, belligerent postures. He said it was a folly on the part of the Centre to propose talks with separatists at the cost of secular and nationalist forces.

Dr Chrungoo said the Central Government had failed to realise the implications of the Pan-Islamic adventures with the result the ongoing turmoil in the state had been treated as a handiwork of one or two separatist groups. He and Mr Rajinder Jamwal of the students federation blamed the state and the Union Government for their failure to understand the dangerous results of the ongoing ethnic cleansing being carried out by the Islamic fundamentalists.

Other organisations that condemned the massacres, included the Congress, the BJP, the Janata Dal and the Panthers Party.

Senior Congress leader, Mr Raman Bhalla, demanded the immediate resignation by the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, and the Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, on the plea that the two governments had failed to ensure the safety of innocent pilgrims and other civilians.

The BJP president, Mr D.K. Kotwal, said pro-Pak militants had indulged in the massacre of pilgrims and other innocent people to sabotage the talks. He demanded strict action against the militants.

The Panthers Party leader and MLA, Mr Harsh Dev Singh, urged the Centre to send additional companies of paramilitary forces to the state.

He too criticised the poor handling of the Kashmir affairs both by the NC and the NDA governments. Sheikh Abdul Rehman of the BSP and Mr Dhanraj Bhargotra of the Janata Dal condemned the killings of innocent people. They appealed to the people to maintain their cool and not be led away by the machinations of the enemy agents who were trying to cause communal division. 

3500 pilgrims leave for holy cave

SRINAGAR, Aug 2 (UNI) — A batch of 3500 pilgrims left the base camp at Pahalgam this afternoon for onward trek to the holy cave after the curfew was lifted this afternoon.

An official spokesman said the pilgrimage, which was suspended last night following the indiscriminate firing by militants on the pilgrims, was resumed this afternoon after the precautionary curfew was lifted.

The pilgrims left the camp amid chants of religious hymns and slogans of “Har Har Mahadev” and “Bharat Mata ki Jai”.

Three Jammu and Kashmir ministers present at Pahalgam interacted with the pilgrims and assured them that the government had taken elaborate arrangements for their safety in view of yesterday’s incident.

The ministers also reviewed the security situation in the wake of Tuesday's massacre.

However, no pilgrim was allowed to leave Jammu for Srinagar, Pahalgam and Baltal.

J&K staff to get 15 pc more DA

SRINAGAR, Aug 2 (UNI) — The Jammu and Kashmir government today announced release of 15 per cent dearness allowance (DA) in cash to its employees with effect from July 2000.

The payment of DA for July shall be made along with the salary for the month pending disbursement.

Announcing the decision, the Finance Minister, Mr Abdul Rahim Rather, expressed satisfaction that he had fulfilled the commitment made to the employees in this regard.

Lauding the role of the joint action committee of employees and other associations, who appreciated the difficulties confronting the government on the financial front, the minister said despite financial stringency, the government has decided to pay the dearness allowance in cash as a token of its appreciation for the co-operation extended by the employees to it.