J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Groups within groups in JKPCC
JAMMU, Aug 29 — Even after the reconstitution of Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee severe groupism continues to plague the organisation.

Bhat, Geelani sink differences
SRINAGAR, Aug 29  — Differences between Jamaat-e-Islami stalwarts, moderate G.M.Bhat and hawkish Syed Ali Shah Geelani, appeared to have been buried with the Jamaat retaining Geelani as chief of political bureau and party’s representative in the Hurriyat Conference.

PM urged to create emergency fund
JAMMU, Aug 29 — The president, National Mazdoor Conference, Mr Subhash Shastri, has urged the Prime Minister, Mr A.B. Vajpayee to immediately create national emergency fund to provide special assistance to the states which are facing financial crunch at present.

Stress on Army, media coordination
JAMMU, Aug 29 — Coordination between the men of the Fourth Estate and the security forces was emphasised during the four-day defence correspondents conference which was inaugurated by Maj-Gen Pramod Grover here yesterday.

French mountaineer killed in Ladakh
JAMMU, Aug 29 — A French national was killed when six members of an Indo-French expedition team slipped into the Shyok river in the Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir yesterday.

Groups within groups in JKPCC
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Aug 29 — Even after the reconstitution of Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee severe groupism continues to plague the organisation.

The way groups within the groups work against one another was evident today when rivals to the PCC chief, Mr Mohammad Shafi Qureshi, did not accompany him while he was on his way to Kathua to attend a workers conference. The group led by Mr Mangat Ram Sharma, organised a public meeting at Katra.

Yesterday prominent Congressmen were absent from a meeting of the District Congress Committee which was to be presided over by Mr Qureshi. The majority of Congress leaders have nothing specific against Mr Qureshi but they are annoyed with the party high command over the way the PCC was reconstituted recently.

Party sources said the party high command ignored several senior Congress leaders and inducted new members and some defectors inducted in the PCC. They said even a vice-president, Mr Gulchain Singh Charak, had claim for the post as he was a new entrant to the Congress.

While nominating office-bearers of the PCC the party high command did not consult all the senior leaders with the result minority community members from Doda, Poonch and Rajouri districts have not figured in the PCC.

The sources said another irritant was nomination of two scheduled caste women to the PCC when more than 90 per cent women Congress leaders and workers belonged to the upper castes.

The group headed by Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad has already dissociated itself from the party programmes, Mr Ghulam Rasool Kar, a former PCC chief, has lost interest in the party activities as he has been sidelined by the Congress high command. Chaudhary Mohammad Aslam, a former PCC chief, is being wooed by the PDP and the National Conference. Mr Aslam is a Gujjar leader. There are others fence-sitters who could give a setback to Mr Qureshi’s efforts for reviving and restrengthening the Congress in Jammu and Kashmir.

Bhat, Geelani sink differences

SRINAGAR, Aug 29 (PTI) — Differences between Jamaat-e-Islami stalwarts, moderate G.M.Bhat and hawkish Syed Ali Shah Geelani, appeared to have been buried with the Jamaat retaining Geelani as chief of political bureau and party’s representative in the Hurriyat Conference.

This decision was taken by Jamaat’s newly-elected Majlis-e-Shoora, highest decision-making forum of the party, at its first meeting here, Jamaat spokesman Zahid Ali said in a statement.

In view of Mr Geelani’s insight and services rendered by him to Jamaat during the past 50 years, he had been retained as chief of the political bureau and the party’s representative in the Hurriyat Conference, he said.

Mr Bhat told PTI whatever misunderstanding there was had been removed through dialogue.

On Mr Geelani criticising Mr Bhat’s statement that withdrawal of ceasefire by Hizbul Mujahideen was unfortunate, Mr Bhat said “Mr Geelani has been his teacher and respected leader.”

Mr Geelani, former Hurriyat Chairman, said there were no differences between him and Mr Bhat and described reports about his recall from the Hurriyat as “mere rumours”.

He said “Mr Bhat is most respectable person for me and we are united even if I went public against him.

PM urged to create emergency fund
From Our Correspondent

JAMMU, Aug 29 — The president, National Mazdoor Conference, Mr Subhash Shastri, has urged the Prime Minister, Mr A.B. Vajpayee to immediately create national emergency fund to provide special assistance to the states which are facing financial crunch at present.

In a communication sent to Mr Vajpayee yesterday, Mr Shastri said it was important to create this fund as states, including Jammu and Kashmir, had not been able to pay salaries to the employees and daily-wage workers in time due to the financial crunch.

Mr Shastri said the real cause of financial crisis in the states was the diversion of the central funds to unproductive sectors.

Mr Shastri urged Mr Vajpayee to get an instalment of DA at the rate of 8 per cent released in favour of both Centre and state government employees, who have become eligible for the same from July.

He further urged the Prime Minister not to accept the recommendations of the 11th Finance Commission.

Terming the recommendations as anti-employee, Mr Shastri said the employees expected improvement in their emoluments and working conditions.

Stress on Army, media coordination
From Our Correspondent

JAMMU, Aug 29 — Coordination between the men of the Fourth Estate and the security forces was emphasised during the four-day defence correspondents conference which was inaugurated by Maj-Gen Pramod Grover here yesterday.

Senior Army functionaries made it clear that in the ongoing Pak-sponsored insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir the role of media was as important as that of the security forces. They praised the role of the print and the electronic media during the last year’s Operation Vijay in Kargil and said perfect coordination between the two leaves no room for mistrust.

Some Army officers made it clear that the security forces had to work under limitations and were answerable to the people and the government and this aspect should be taken note of by the print and the electronic media.

The Army functionaries wanted the mediapersons to beware of the publicity stunt on the part of the militants.

Two arrested for duping pilgrims
From Our Correspondent

JAMMU, Aug 29 — The police claims to have busted an inter-state gang of criminals and arrested two persons, on a charge of duping Mata Vaishnodevi pilgrims in Katra and on the route to the shrine.

Giving details the SSP, Udhampur, Mr Satvir Gupta, said a Katra police team headed by DSP Anita Sharma after getting a report about lifting of luggage of two pilgrims, immediately arrested two members of the gang, after a number of raids at various hotels and guest houses. The accused have been identified as Jatinder Kumar and Krishan Lal of Hoshiarpur in Punjab. Luggage and articles valuing over Rs 10,000 have been recovered from them. The gang reportedly duped Ravi Kumar of Sirsa in Haryana. Before that it had duped more than a dozen pilgrims in Katra. They also confessed to the police about the identity of their other three associates.

French mountaineer killed in Ladakh

JAMMU, Aug 29 (PTI) — A French national was killed when six members of an Indo-French expedition team slipped into the Shyok river in the Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir yesterday.

The deceased had been identified as Kevian Mistry, who succumbed to head injury sustained from a boulder, a defence spokesman said here today.

Army rescued the remaining five members, he said.

The mishap occurred when the nine-member team, returning after scaling the Rimo IV peak in the North sub-sector of Ladakh region, was crossing the Shyok at around 1000 hrs, he said. Six members of the team slipped into the fast flowing river.

Lt Commander S Dam, who was accompanying the team, immediately contacted the nearest Army post for help, he said, adding that a rescue team rushed to the accident site and rescued five and fished out the body of Mistry.