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| Saturday, August 5, 2000, Chandigarh, India   
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Muslims defy curfew, hold
demonstration Fernandes visits Amarnath cave Chhari Pujan performed CM distributes certificates Hizbul analysing
outcome of talks |
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Officials leave for Mecca, Madina Arif felicitated Chhari Pujan
performed
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Muslims defy curfew, hold demonstration JAMMU, Aug 4 — A big group of Muslims, including Gujjars, staged an anti-Pakistan demonstration at Sidhra near here today to protest against the recent massacres by pro-Pak militants in the state. Defying curfew restrictions the demonstrators shouted anti-Pakistan slogans. They burnt an effigy of Pakistan’s military ruler Gen Pervez Musharraf. The police took 10 protesters into preventive custody on the charge of violating the curfew restrictions. Meanwhile, curfew restrictions were enforced on the third day today in Jammu. These restrictions had been relaxed for a couple of hours yesterday evening and then reimposed as part of precautionary measures. Work in government offices and banks was hit when the employees could not make to the offices in the absence of passenger transport services. Educational institutions remained closed on the third day today. Relaxation in curfew restrictions was made in the morning hours in other towns of the Jammu region and no untoward incident was reported. The city wore deserted look with all business establishments closed. Security forces patrolled the town. However, several political leaders criticised the state authorities for extending the curfew restrictions beyond the patience of people who had to face series of problems. President, state unit of the Nationalist Congress Party, Thakur Randhir Singh, said that never in his 40-year-long political career had he seen himself and people facing “house arrest” for three days because of strict enforcement of curfew restrictions. Thakur Randhir Singh held both the central and the state governments responsible for the drift in the security situation in the state. He said the two governments had failed to take in hard measures for preventing the massacre of over 100 innocent persons. Senior Congress leader, Ramat Bhalla, also urged the state authorities to lift curfew restrictions and instead deploy additional forces for keeping a watch on the movement of militants and other anti-national elements. The Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) has expressed serious concern over deterioration in law and order in the state following escalation in militancy related violence. At a meeting the BJYM adopted a resolution condemning the killing of eight members of Village Defence Committees in Dechan in Kishtwar on Wednesday. The resolution demanded immediate payment of exgratia relief to the kin of the deceased. The resolution demanded strengthening of the Village Defence Committees by equipping each member with sophisticated weapons. It said that during the past two years the central government had been promising equipping VDC members with sophisticated weapons but these promises were not fulfilled leaving VDC members vulnerable to militant attacks as they have to fight with 303 guns. The BJYM also demanded the dismissal of the Farooq-led Government as it had failed to provide a good governance. It demanded the setting up of Army pickets in Dechan, Marwah, Paddar and other areas in Wadhwan valley in Doda district.
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Fernandes visits Amarnath cave SRINAGAR, Aug 4 — Defence Minister George Fernandes today took stock of the situation arising out of the Tuesday’s massacre at Pahalgam and discussed the situation with the officers of the Army, security forces and the people connected with the arrangements for the Amarnath yatra. Accompanied by Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah, the Defence Minister also met the locals and walked through the entire route upto the site of carnage. He inspected the spot where people, including pilgrims were killed, and also where militants were gunned down. An official spokesman stated here that after inspection of the site and meeting the people, he came to definite conclusion that no amount of security arrangement could have prevented such an unfortunate incident in which two men (militants) walked into a lane and at some point got equipped with weapons and committed the carnage. Earlier the Defence Minister and the Chief Minister flew to the Amarnath cave and took stock of the security arrangements and other facilities. During their two-hour halt at the shrine, it was decided that measures would be taken to prevent the melting of ice lingam in the cave shrine due to human heat and lighting material used for worshipping. The proposals considered included provision of glass cover to the ice lingam and airconditioning of the cave shrine, which will ensure that ice lingam do not melt with the visit of a large number of pilgrims. It was also decided that permanent structures for shelter along with provisions for drinking water and lavatories would be constructed from Pahalgam, base camp of the yatra to holy cave and on Baltal-Sangam track. The Chief Minister also suggested that the duration of the yatra should be increased and it should remain open right from the day the track was through till it gets snow-bound. The senior security officers, including Maj Gen Nad Karni were also present. Meanwhile, undeterred by the Tuesday’s militant attack that left 32 persons, mostly pilgrims, dead and more than 50 injured at base camp at Pahalgam, about 10,000 yatris, including a good number of women, had “darshan” of the ice lingam at the holy cave during the past two days. A large number of devotees and sadhus participated in the chari poojan amid tight security arrangements. An official spokesman said 1,36,198 pilgrims had so far had the darshan at the cave since the commencement of the yatra on July 13. He said so far 1,52,816 pilgrims had reached Pahalgam and Baltal and number of yatris might cross two lakh this year. Security forces had already been put on alert to foil any more militant attack on pilgrims. The spokesman said the first batch of the yatris, who were stopped at Jammu following the massacre were allowed to proceed towards Pahalgam and Baltal this morning. He said 2935 pilgrims left Jammu in the wee hours. The pilgrims, including 298 women and four children, were travelling in 54 buses, 34 light motor vehicles and one truck. The curfew, clamped in Jammu division after the massacre, continued for the third consecutive day today. The curfew was imposed apprehending communal clashes. The curfew was relaxed in Udhampur district today from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. There were no reports of violence during the period, the spokesman said. |
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Chhari Pujan performed SRINAGAR, Aug 4 — The traditional Chhari-Pujan ceremony on Naag Panchami was performed at the Amreshwar Temple at the Mahadev Gir Dashnami Akhara here this evening. The puja was led by Mahant Deepinder Giri and attended by a large number of sadhus and devotees. The Chhari Pujan marks the beginning of the traditional yatra of the holy mace to the holy cave. The Jammu and Kashmir Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Mr Pyare Lal Handoo, was among the devotees who performed the pooja. The Chhari Mubarak is scheduled to start its journey from Srinagar on August 9. It will reach the holy cave on August 15, the last darshan coinciding with Raksha Bandhan. Meanwhile, another batch of 2935 pilgrims arrived in Pahalgam in 89 vehicles from Jammu today. Nearly 1.41 lakh devotees performed darshan at the cave shrine till yesterday evening. Another sadhu, Suraj Dass, 75 from Akhara, Nepal died of cardiac arrest at Sheshnag last night, the police said. |
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CM distributes certificates SRINAGAR, Aug 4 — Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah has expressed hope that the students who have received training and excelled in computer technology in Urdu would utilise their knowledge for the development of the state and the country. Addressing a function organised by the National Council for Promotion of Urdu (NCPU) to award certificates to the students who have completed a diploma course in computer application and multilingual DTP, the Chief Minister asked the students to pursue higher standards of education, particularly in science and technology. Computer science would create numerous job opportunities for the unemployed educated youth, he said. The Financial Commissioner, Jammu and Kashmir, in New Delhi, Mr Mehmood-ur-Rehman, while addressing the function said, importance of Urdu could not be neglected as it had helped in preserving and promoting our cultural heritage. |
Hizbul analysing
outcome of talks SRINAGAR, Aug 4 (PTI) — Hizbul Mujahideen leaders here were today busy analysing the outcome of discussions their representatives had with the Central Government team and refrained from making any public statements. The leaders were in touch with their supreme commander Syed Salahuddin in Islamabad where the Hizbul’s top decision-making body is said to be mulling over yesterday’s session in preparation of the next round of talks scheduled “very shortly”. After the first round the two sides agreed to constitute committees to continue the talks for working out modalities for ceasefire, Union Home Secretary Kamal Pande congratulated the Hizbul leadership for its decision to participate in the peace process. Hizbul’s chief spokesman in Kashmir said after the meeting “We are thankful to the government that they responded positively to our offer of ceasefire” and added that teams for future talks would consist of six members on each side. He also said his side was serious about the ceasefire and process of restoring peace in the troubled state. Meanwhile, Hurriyat chairman Abdul Gani Bhat said a “half-broken step can hardly lead to peace”. He also wondered why the government of India had “come down” from its stand of no-talks-outside-the Constitution which it adopted vis-a-vis the Hurriyat. |
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Officials leave for Mecca, Madina SRINAGAR, Aug 4 — The Jammu and Kashmir government has deputed a team of senior officers to Mecca and Madina to finalise the arrangements for comfortable stay of Haj pilgrims of the state this year. The Minister for Haj and Auqaf, Mr B.A. Kitchloo, said at a meeting held here yesterday that the team has been asked to make fool-proof arrangements for pilgrims with regard to accommodation and other allied facilities at the holy cities of Mecca and Madina. The team has been asked to submit its report to the government soon after its return. According to an official spokesman, the minister said the matter regarding operation of direct flights from Srinagar to Jeddah has also been taken up with the Civil Aviation
authorities. |
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Arif felicitated SRINAGAR, Aug 4 — A veteran Kashmiri writer and poet, Mirza Ghulam Hassan Beigh Arif was felicitated by the Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages at a function held here yesterday. Besides honouring Mr
Arif, his latest book “Bujruk Bahar” (the spring of old age), was also released at the function held at Tagore Hall, that was attended by noted writers, poets and scholars. Mr Balwant Thakur, Secretary of the Academy, while welcoming the guest of
honour, highlighted the contribution of Mr Arif in the field of Kashmiri language and literature. Prof Shafi Shouq of the Kashmiri Department of the University of Kashmir gave a detailed account of the life and contributions of Mr Arif
Beigh. |
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Chhari Pujan
performed SRINAGAR, Aug 4 — The traditional Chhari-Poojan ceremony on Naag Panchami was performed at the Amreshwar Temple at the Mahadev Gir Dashnami Akhara here this evening. The pooja was led by Mahant Deepinder Giri and attended by a large number of sadhus and devotees. The Chhari Poojan marks the beginning of the traditional yatra of the holy mace to the holy cave. The Jammu and Kashmir Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Mr Pyare Lal Handoo, was among the devotees who performed the pooja. The Chhari Mubarak is scheduled to start its journey from Srinagar on August 9. It will reach the holy cave on August 15, the last darshan coinciding with Raksha Bandhan. Meanwhile, another batch of 2935 pilgrims arrived in Pahalgam in 89 vehicles from Jammu today. Nearly 1.41 lakh devotees performed darshan at the cave shrine till yesterday evening. Another sadhu, Suraj Dass, 75 from Akhara, Nepal died of cardiac arrest at Sheshnag last night, the police said.
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