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| Tuesday, August 15, 2000, Chandigarh, India   
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Shun gun, Farooq tells militants JAMMU, Aug 14 — More than 15,000 men of the Army, para-military forces and the police have been deployed in various parts of Jammu and Kashmir, with concentration in the two capitals, to prevent Pakistan-trained militants from disrupting Independence Day celebrations in the state tomorrow. Hizb sets terms for talks Amarnath yatra concludes today Peace will return to J&K: Saxena |
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| Lovers commit
suicide KATHUA, Aug 14 — In a suicide pact, a married woman and her lover of Sherpur village of Hiranagar tehsil ended their lives reportedly by consuming poison and then hanged themselves from the ceiling. Bangles for legislators 
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Shun gun, Farooq tells militants SRINAGAR, Aug 14 — The Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, has appealed to the misguided youth to shun the gun and join the process of dialogue for restoration of peace and normalcy in the state. The Chief Minister said in a message to the people on the eve of Independence Day that the gun was no solution to problems and the talks initiated recently would be resumed and taken to their logical end despite hurdles being created by some elements, including Pakistan. He said everyone welcomed the offer of the Hizbul Mujahideen for talks which had generated a conducive atmosphere and hope for restoration of peace, but the hurdles created by vested interests and Pakistan to scuttle the talks was known to everyone. “Despite the negative approach, we hope the neighbour will shoulder the responsibility of creating an atmosphere of friendship in the region,” he added. He said all eyes are now on the Indian subcontinent and the international community appreciates “our chosen path for peace.” “Wars have never solved problems while negotiations” have always given birth to friendship and trust,” Dr Abdullah said referring to the conflicts of 1947, 1965, 1971 and lately the Kargil incursion. While mentioning the 1972 Simla agreement and the Lahore Declaration, Mr Abdullah said we were sincere in our efforts to bring peace in the region. He said the cult of the gun has only brought miseries to the people of Jammu and Kashmir. “Enough blood has been spilled and destruction caused. People are now fed up with the gun and yearn for peace and normalcy in the state,” he said. Dr Abdullah cautioned against the voices being raised for division of the state on regional and religious lines and said no move that was detrimental to the national interest would be allowed to succeed. He said Jammu and Kashmir was a vase comprising flowers of different colours and nobody would be allowed to trample it. “Divisive tendencies are not only harmful for the state but will also undermine the integrity of the nation,” he added. Talking about restoration of autonomy, the plank on which the National Conference came to power four years ago, Mr Abdullah said the report, which was prepared by an expert committee, had been made public and sent to the Centre. “What happened to it is before you,” he said and reiterated his determination not to retreat on the issue. He said the issue had been taken up with the Centre and hoped that it would be resolved through dialogue. “Autonomy is not for a particular region or community but it reflects the urges and aspirations of the people of Kashmir, Jammu and Ladakh. We want fulfilment of promises made to the people of the state,” he added. Briefly enumerating the achievements of his government during past four years, the Chief Minister said 1800 school buildings, 31,000 houses under the Indira Awas Yojna, 125 bridges and 2700 small bridges and culverts were constructed. One lakh youths were provided with jobs. On vast hydel potential in the state, the Chief Minister said since the state had limited resources and the Centre did not give counter guarantee for loans, the state government had entrusted the National Hydel Project Construction to execute hydro power projects. The construction on these projects will start soon. Under the MoU, these projects would be returned to the state after getting back the investment. This was being done for the first time. The state government had taken up the Baghliar and Sawalkote projects. He expressed optimism about the state becoming self reliant in the power sector and said this would not only fulfil our requirements but benefit the neighbouring states too. “We have the capability to grow the sapling of thorns into a tree of roses full with fragrance,” Dr Abdullah said while quoting Mahjoor. |
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15,000 securitymen deployed in J & K JAMMU, Aug 14 — More than 15,000 men of the Army, para-military forces and the police have been deployed in various parts of Jammu and Kashmir, with concentration in the two capitals, to prevent Pakistan-trained militants from disrupting Independence Day celebrations in the state tomorrow. Movement in several sensitive areas in the state has been restricted. All types of vehicles and pedestrians are subjected to thorough frisking to ensure that nobody was in a position to carry explosives for sabotaging the celebrations. Army helicopters have been pressed into service in the two capitals to carry out surveillance against any militant movement in the towns. Checking posts have been sent up at various places on the 300-km-long Jammu-Srinagar highway. These posts are manned by men of the Army and police. Other posts are under the BSF and the CRPF control. The two sports stadii, where the main Independence Day functions are to be held, have been ringed by security forces. During the past one week sniffer dogs were pressed into service for sniffing explosives. The police and Army experts have surveyed the sprawling sports fields with metal detectors. Official sources confirmed reports that militants had stolen a couple of cars for using them as car bomb. And the police has already mounted search for tracing these cars in South and Central Kashmir. The Director General Police, Mr Gurbachan Jagat, undertook a week-long tour of several districts in the state to supervise security arrangements. Recruits from the police training centres have been temporarily withdrawn from the centres and deployed on duty in several areas of the state. A senior police officer said “we have taken all possible measures to prevent militants from carrying out any armed attack on security pickets and on crowded public places. We are still keeping our fingers crossed because militants strike at their will and convenience.” He said “as a result of elaborate security bandobast rebels were not in a position to demonstrate pro-Pakistan sentiments during Pakistan independence day today.” As part of precautionary measures the government has ordered closure of all educational institutions today. Since yesterday shopkeepers in Jammu city were directed to close their establishments after dusk in order to prevent militants from carrying out explosions in
crowded places. The practice was followed today also. The police has issued an appeal to the people not to touch any packet, attache or transistor type gadgets at public places and not to touch unclaimed bag or packets on the road. |
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Hizb sets terms for talks SRINAGAR, Aug 14 (PTI) — The pro-Pakistan Hizbul Mujahideen today said peace talks with New Delhi could be resumed only after India accepts Jammu and Kashmir as a disputed territory and involves Pakistan in the peace talks.
“If India is serious to resolve Kashmir issue and interested in ending the untold miseries people of Jammu and Kashmir have been put to, she should accept the disputed status of the state and accept Pakistan as a party to the issue,” a statement released by the outfit to the local press said today. The two-page statement in Urdu — a copy of which was made available to PTI — expressed hope that “once India accepts these hard facts a solution to the Kashmir issue will not be far away”. However, it made it clear that talks with New Delhi were aimed at resolving the Kashmir issue and not just restoring peace in the strife-torn state. “As far as peace talks with New Delhi are concerned Hizbul Mujahideen do not want peace for the sake of peace. We had offered ceasefire just as a tool to resolve Kashmir issue. If peace returns to Kashmir but the Kashmir issue remains unresolved the peace cannot prove everlasting,” the statement said. “Talks with India can be held at tripartite level only,” the statement asserted and said bilateral talks have not worked in the past. We have a history of talks between Indians and the Kashmiris and between Pakistan and India and they have failed,” the statement said. Apparently referring to the Prime Minister’s statement yesterday that militants are divided and tired of the ongoing violence, the statement said Hizbul Mujahideen is “united” both in war and in peace. |
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Amarnath yatra
concludes today SRINAGAR, Aug 14 — This year’s month-long annual pilgrimage to the holy cave shrine of Amarnath concludes with the arrival of Chhari Mubarak or the holy mace of Lord Shiva in the cave early tomorrow.
The holy mace, which had started its traditional yatra from Dashnami Akhara, Srinagar, on August 9, reached Panchtarni from Sheshnag today. It will be taken to the cave shrine in the wee hours tomorrow. According to an official spokesman here today, 1,77,518 yatris arrived for the annual pilgrimage this year. This year 22 yatris were killed in a militant attack. Moreover, over 12 persons died of cardiac arrests and other ailments during the month-long yatra. Meanwhile, the three-member inquiry commission constituted to probe into the Pahalgam firing incident of August 1 has appealed to the yatris, who happen to be eyewitnesses to the incident to send their statements on the basis of first-hand knowledge of the incident to the District Magistrate, Anantnag, on or before August
31. |
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Peace will return to J&K: Saxena SRINAGAR, Aug 14 — The Jammu and Kashmir Governor, Mr Girish Chandra Saxena, has expressed hope that peace will return to the state as “there is a strong and unmistakable desire among the people for putting an end to violence and restore peace and normalcy”. In his Independence Day message the Governor said the “pressure of the public mood had induced a major local militant organisation Hizbul Mujahideen to give a call for ceasefire three weeks ago. The call evoked immediate and positive response from security forces and the state and Central governments. The people wished to see in this development an end of militancy and violence.” The Central government had rightly decided to continue with the dialogue despite the ethnic massacres carried out by the Lashkar-e-Toiba and foreign militants at eight places in the state a few days after the ceasefire came into effect. This displayed the resolve of the government to give peace every chance to succeed. Unfortunately, the Pakistan-based leadership of the Hizbul Mujahideen, under apparent pressure from the Pakistani Government and agencies, scuttled the peace process by making a demand of involving Pakistan also in the talks, which it knew was quite unacceptable to India. No such condition was mentioned in the initial call for ceasefire and dialogue. “It has now become abundantly clear to all who stand for peace and dialogue, and terrorism”, he stated. The Governor lauded the Army, security forces and the state police for their counter action and many successful operations this year and said that over 750 militants, including several top commanders, were killed and large quantity of arms, ammunition and explosive recovered. He said “they have dealt crippling blows to the militants and tried their best to bring back peace and normalcy to the State.” He paid tributes to those who made the supreme sacrifices of their lives while discharging their duties. Mr Saxena referred to the damages caused by the violence to development and economic activities in the state, and said it had caused considerable sufferings and hardships to many sections of our people. In addition to the loss of thousands of precious lives, there was large-scale destruction of public and private
property. |
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Lovers commit
suicide KATHUA, Aug 14 — In a suicide pact, a married woman and her lover of Sherpur village of Hiranagar tehsil ended their lives reportedly by consuming poison and then hanged themselves from the ceiling.
According to the Hiranagar police, a woman Sarishta Devi (32), and a boy Sudesh Singh (24), had developed illicit relations. The woman and her young lover used to meet daily. Some villagers and their relatives noticed their activities and strongly objected to their relationship. Knowing that their relationship had been
disclosed, the lovers consumed poison and hanged themselves. On finding both accused unconscious, the villagers took them to the district hospital, where doctors declared them brought dead. The police has registered a case. After post-mortem, the bodies were handed over to their family members. |
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Bangles for
legislators JAMMU, Aug 14 — The girl activists of Jammu Joint Students Federation
(JJSF) who are on a relay fast here for the past seven days, today sent a parcel of bangles to sitting MPs and MLAs from Jammu in protest against their silence on the ongoing students agitation for more than a month.
Addressing mediapersons at Shahidi
Sthal, the secretary of the JJSF, Mr Kanwaljeet Kaur, and aggrieved students said silence of the political parties on the issue has forced them to send bangles to the MPs. She said these leaders have not bothered about the denial of admission to students in BA,
B.Sc, B.Com (Part I). |
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