J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Experts for extending ceasefire
JAMMU, Dec 15 — The unilateral ceasefire, that came into force in Jammu and Kashmir from November 27 for a period of a month, is likely to be extended following persistent demand from various political quarters including the All-Party Hurriyat Conference in support of extension.

Involve Pak in talks, says Mann group
JAMMU, Dec 15 — The state unit of the Akali Dal (Amritsar) has called for tripartite talks for resolving the Kashmir turmoil. According to the party President, Mr Gurdev Singh, there could be no progress on the ground unless Pakistan was involved in the talks.

J&K BJP differs with Centre on talks
SRINAGAR, Dec 15 — In a significant departure from the Central leadership, the Jammu and Kashmir BJP unit today suggested involvement of Pakistan and militant outfits in talks to find a solution to the Kashmir issue.

J&K to get 2,112 HIV test kits
JAMMU, Dec 15 — Jammu and Kashmir would get 2,112 HIV test kits (rapid) for the coming year to perform 2,02,752 HIV tests. These kits will make testing of blood samples easier and accurate. Each kit will have a capacity to perform 96 tests.

Experts for extending ceasefire
From M.L. Kak
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Dec 15 — The unilateral ceasefire, that came into force in Jammu and Kashmir from November 27 for a period of a month, is likely to be extended following persistent demand from various political quarters including the All-Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC) in support of extension.

Highly placed sources said the Government of India has realised that the ceasefire has hardly produced any tangible results and there is a need for further extending the cessation of operations against the militants to encourage separatists to come to the negotiating table.

Militancy-related violence in various parts of the state, particularly in the Kashmir valley, since November 27 has not shown a marked decline. The government is in favour of giving the peace process a further lease of life. During the past 19 days, militants, especially foreign mercenaries, belonging to the Lashkar-i-Toiba, the Jash-e-Mohammad and the Al-Badr, have carried out a series of gun and grenade attacks on pickets of the security forces, public rallies and soft targets.

In these incidents more than 35 civilians have been killed and over 160 injured and more than 25 security personnel killed and over 50 of them wounded.

Though at least 50 militants have been killed in the retaliatory action the rebels are successful in creating a scare among the people and separatists in favour of a dialogue.

The APHC Chairman, Prof Abdul Gani Bhat, too, is in favour of extending the ceasefire deadline announced by the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee. Since the turmoil is deep-rooted, things cannot be improved within a month,” he told TNS today.

“Despite the fact that the guns of the security forces have not totally fallen silent, there is a need for extending the ceasefire. We have to look beyond the holy month of Ramzan”, he said. He said the government “needs to keep its mind open to suggestions. It should not adopt a rigid attitude.”

Asked whether he and his party leaders continued to insist on a visit to Pakistan, Prof Bhat said: “We have made a suggestion to the government. We do not insist on permission to visit Pakistan.” He explained that “We are carrying out a very difficult task of persuading the Mujahids to give peace a chance.”

He said the basic idea behind visiting Pakistan was to hold talks with different groups of Mujahids so that their opinion on the ceasefire was sought. He said unless the Mujahid’s supported the proposed peace process, “there may not be any improvement in the situation.”

“We are trying to involve all those who matter in making the peace process a success and in this task we are risking our lives, “he explained.

Besides the APHC, the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) has been a vocal supporter of extending the ceasefire. The PDP chief, Mufti Mohamad Sayeed, has advocated the need for holding talks with all separatists and militant groups so that peace can be restored.

However, the APHC leaders are of the opinion that without involving Islamabad and the main militant groups across the border, there can be no progress in the proposed peace talks.

Senior functionaries of the Defence and Home Ministries are also for extending the deadline. The experts have been monitoring day-to-day developments in the state and have treated the continued armed attacks by the militants on camps of the security forces and soft targets as “teething problems” in the path of restoration of peace.

The experts have not found any major step-up in the level of violence in the state when compared to the scale of incidents recorded prior to the enforcement of the ceasefire.

Though the security forces have been placed in an unenviable position as their powers to launch an offensive against the militants have been restricted by the ceasefire, experts are of the opinion that the 11-year-long turmoil, which has the support of Pakistan, may not be resolved within a month or so. Separatists need more time to devise a strategy and in this case need encouragement from the government.

Involve Pak in talks, says Mann group
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Dec 15 — The state unit of the Akali Dal (Amritsar) has called for tripartite talks for resolving the Kashmir turmoil. According to the party President, Mr Gurdev Singh, there could be no progress on the ground unless Pakistan was involved in the talks.

Mr Gurdev Singh told mediapersons here today, that the peace process could prove meaningful if Delhi invited Islamabad for talks.

The Akali leader criticised the state Gurdwara Prabandhak Board for dissolving the duly elected District Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee in Jammu. Describing the step as “illegal and undemocratic”, he accused board President S.S. Wazir and a mahant of a local Sikh ashram of having conspired to dissolve the committee because its members had been consistent of their demand for bringing to book the killers of Jathedar Harnam Singh.

Mr Gurdev Singh said at the present juncture, certain vested interests were trying to weaken Sikh unity. He warned them against the gameplan of the Sangh Parivar to give a “stepmotherly” treatment to minorities, especially Sikhs.

He blamed the Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, for not implementing his promise to introduce Punjabi in all educational institutions. He said the Chief Minister had made this promise in Jammu in 1989 but so far nothing had been done.

Many Sikh organisations have come in support of Mr S.S. Wazir, President, state Gurdwara Prabandhak Board, for having dismissed the DGPC in Jammu. These bodies said the dismissal was called for in view of the poor performance of the DGPC and this charge had been vehemently opposed by the Akali Dal (Mann) and Akali Dal (Badal).

J&K BJP differs with Centre on talks

SRINAGAR, Dec 15 (PTI) — In a significant departure from the Central leadership, the Jammu and Kashmir BJP unit today suggested involvement of Pakistan and militant outfits in talks to find a solution to the Kashmir issue.

Mr Kabuli urged ruling party leaders to rise above petty personal interests and contribute towards the success of the peace move initiated by the Centre. 

J&K to get 2,112 HIV test kits
From Our Correspondent

JAMMU, Dec 15 — Jammu and Kashmir would get 2,112 HIV test kits (rapid) for the coming year to perform 2,02,752 HIV tests. These kits will make testing of blood samples easier and accurate. Each kit will have a capacity to perform 96 tests.

According to the project director, J and K AIDS Prevention and Control society, Mr Ashok Parmar, these rapid kits would be provided to various blood banks in Jammu and Kashmir for testing blood for HIV where elisa reader is not available. Elisa readers will be installed in the Microbiology Department of Government Medical College, Jammu and Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences, Kashmir.

The state would get a total of 316 HIV kits (elisa) for this year to perform at least 31,000 HIV tests per year. The society has provided 79 HIV (elisa) kits to different hospitals in the state.

Mr Parmar said before using the rapid test kits, the laboratory technicians working in blood banks would be trained for use of these kits and to maintain strict confidence while conducting these tests. The results of these tests will not be declared directly to the person whose blood sample is being tested.