J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Was it suicide? SRINAGAR, Dec 26 — Was it a suicide attack or a car bomb explosion caused by a remote control device outside the main gate of Badami Bagh cantonment, in which at least 10 persons were killed yesterday afternoon? Fidayeen chief, cop killed SRINAGAR, Dec 26 — A self-styled chief commander of fidayeen group and a police sub-inspector were among three killed while a militant surrendered in Jammu and Kashmir during the past 24 hours.

Kashmiri Muslim people busy in Id-ul-Fitr shopping outside Jamia Masjid (Grand Mosque) in Srinagar on Tuesday. — Reuters photo

• 4 soldiers die in militant attack

J&K roundup-2000
A year of bold peace initiatives
JAMMU, Dec 26 — If 1999 was the year of heightened tension in the wake of Kargil war, the year, that is on its last leg, will be treated as year of bold peace initiatives in the trouble-torn Jammu and Kashmir, continued militancy-related violence notwithstanding. The year is wrapping up on a peaceful note.

Was it suicide?
From Ehsan Fazili
Tribune News Service

SRINAGAR, Dec 26 — Was it a suicide attack or a car bomb explosion caused by a remote control device outside the main gate of Badami Bagh cantonment, in which at least 10 persons were killed yesterday afternoon?

Going by the claims by two Pakistan-based militant organisations and the claims made by the Army and the police here, there are varying reports about the cause of the explosion. The explosion took place even as high alert was sounded following the attack in Red Fort on Friday.

Two militant organisations, Jaish-e-Mohammad Jamait-ul-Mujahideen, have claimed the responsibility of the attack, the third of its kind in the Badami Bagh cantonment area, the location of the 15 Corps of the Army here, since last year. These organisations along with several other Pakistan-based militant organisations, including Lashkar-e-Toiba, Harkat-ul-Mujahideen and Al-Badre, have already rejected the ceasefire offered by the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee in Jammu and Kashmir.

A local news agency told mediapersons here that a spokesman of Jaishe-e-Mohammad said on phone that the attack was carried out by its British militant, Abdullah Bhai of Birmingham. Jamiat-ul-Mujahidden’s spokesman said its activists set off the car bomb with a remote-controlled device.

According to the DIG, Srinagar, Mr K. Rajindra Kumar, there were no indications of the involvement of a suicide bomber, having been killed in the explosion. He clarified that there were strewen pieces of the car blown up in the explosion, but no indication of any militant killed in the attack. He said the car had been parked on the main road and blown up in the explosion. He added that the top storey of the shopping complex opposite to the main gate of the cantonment, caught fire as a result of the explosion.

Earlier, the police had claimed that the car being driven by a suicide bomber blew up after the armymen tried to stop it from entering the gate.

A defence spokesman later told the TNS that there was a car bomb explosion outside the main gate of the cantonment. He added that the involvement of a suicide bomber was also not ruled out. The exact cause of the explosion was being ascertained, the spokesman said.

Fidayeen chief, cop killed

SRINAGAR, Dec 26 (UNI) — A self-styled chief commander of fidayeen group and a police sub-inspector were among three killed while a militant surrendered in Jammu and Kashmir during the past 24 hours.

An official spokesman said a security force patrol party was fired at by militants on the Lassana bridge in Poonch district of Jammu last afternoon.

Forces retaliated and killed “chief commander” of the fidayeen group Abu Rala.

One AK rifle, three magazines, 73 rounds and three grenades were seized from the slain commander whose party affiliation was not disclosed.

He said the body of a militant was recovered from Lancha in Udhampur district last evening.

He said gunmen shot at and critically wounded sub-inspector Abdul Aziz this afternoon at Magam in Badgam district. Aziz died before he could be shifted to hospital.

He said militants hurled hand grenades towards security forces at Trail and Exchange Road here last evening. However, the grenades missed the target and exploded on the roadside without causing any damage.

He said a militant surrendered along with one AK rifle, three magazines and 90 rounds at Kupwara last evening.

4 soldiers die in militant attack

BARAMULA, Dec 26 (UNI) — At least four soldiers were killed and seven including an officer, injured in a militant attack at Putshahi Lolab in the north Kashmir this evening.

Official sources told (UNI) that a patrol party of the 32nd Rashtriya Rifles came under a hail of bullets from automatic weapons. The troops returned fire and the gunbattle claimed four soldiers.

J&K roundup-2000
A year of bold peace initiatives
From M.L. Kak
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Dec 26 — If 1999 was the year of heightened tension in the wake of Kargil war, the year, that is on its last leg, will be treated as year of bold peace initiatives in the trouble-torn Jammu and Kashmir, continued militancy-related violence notwithstanding. The year is wrapping up on a peaceful note.

While the last decades of the bygone millennium spelt doom on the land of sages and saints, the new millennium took with prospects of peace and better days. The desire for peace in Kashmir has become louder than the roar of the gun.

While the three-month ceasefire declared by Hizb-ul-Mujahideen on July 24 last was aborted by Pakistan, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee’s announcement of the cessation of combat operations has survived repeated provocations from the militants. This encouraged the Prime Minister to extend the ceasefire period by another month. In fact a majority of people in the state, who had pinned hopes on the Hizb ceasefire but were dismayed when Pakistan carried out its abortion, endorsed Mr Vajpayee’s peace initiative which was evident from their non-participation in the militancy-related activities.

This was also reflected by Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, which was the support of the local youth, when it announced the ceasefire. Though its ceasefire was sabotaged, it indicated that even the rebel outfits had realised the futility of the gun and were keen to participate in the peace process. Pakistan and its trained foreign mercenaries were upset over Hizb announcement and they stepped up violence killing 100 civilians on August 1 when the ceasefire had not been withdrawn.

It was possibly under pressure from people that the All Party Hurriyat Conference (APHC) endorsed Prime Minister’s peace initiative. The APHC had realised that it would lose its credibility if it adopted a negative attitude as it had done when the Hizb declared the ceasefire. The moderates in the APHC sidelined the hawks and accepted to participate in the peace process.

Under international pressure and fear of further isolation, Islamabad had no other alternative but to support the ceasefire announced by Mr Vajpayee by ordering its troops to observe maximum restraint on the LoC and by deciding to carry out partial withdrawal of its forces from the border. The die is cast in favour of peace and different players are busy in confabulations.

As peoples’ urge for peace increased they started cooperating with the security forces. More information regarding the militant hideouts was available with the security forces. The result was that more than 1500 militants were killed during 2000. It was the highest figure since 1994.

The year saw increased infiltration of foreign mercenaries from across the border. These mercenaries took command of militancy after the support of the local rebels dwindled. The year saw a decline in militancy-related violence but increase in smuggling of RDX. About 200 incidents took place during the year and over 1300 kg of RDX was seized from the rebels. Civilian killings also showed a decline. Against 821 civilians killed in 1999 the number this year was 730. The use of RDX and IEDs facilitated militants to draw more blood from the security forces. This year 387 security personnel were killed as against 356 last year.

Among the worst militancy-related acts of violence were the nine massacres in which 105 persons including 22 Amarnath pilgrims, were gunned down. It was for the first time that militants succeeded in carrying out armed attack on the pilgrims at Pahalgam, the base camp for the annual yatra. The massacre of 35 Sikhs at Chattisinghpora village in March was the most heart-aching incident. Again for the first time a minister, Ghulam Passan Bhat, was killed by the militants in May. A prominent Shia leader and a former Cabinet Minister, Molvi Iftikhar Hussain Ansari, survived three attacks but another Shia leader, Aga Syed Mehdi, a Congressman, was killed in one of the attacks. The National Conference leaders have been the main target and out of 33 political leaders killed by the militants 25 belonged to the ruling National Conference.

The emergence of fidayeen on the Kashmir scene was another major trend in 2000. These fidayeen stormed various security camps and pickets and the worst suicide attack was carried out on 24 Rashtriya Rifles camp at Beerwah in which 11 soldiers and one Major were killed.

The year saw one major political activity in the shape of convening of a special session of the state legislature. The session was convened from June 19 to discuss the state autonomy committee report. The state legislature adopted the report which was sent to the Centre for approval. The Centre has rejected the report but negotiations are on.

The state government added one more feather to its cap by finalising the schedule for panchayat elections. These elections, to be held after a gap of 23 years, are expected to start from January 15. It was a year of road accidents. More than 290 passengers lost their lives, most of them on the Jammu-Srinagar highway. In these accidents a number of security personnel, including those belonging to the Army lost their lives.

The year was the year of acute cash crunch for the state government. There was no proportion between the availability of funds and the requirement with the result various development projects were not taken in hand and work on the ongoing projects was suspended. Still the state authorities were able to rebuild roads, bridges and improve drinking water facilities. The state had to taste the bitter pill of power crisis. The load-shedding period was further increased.

J&K panchayat poll notified
Parties worried over security aspect
Tribune News Service

JAMMU, Dec 26 — Though the state Cabinet at a meeting here on December 19 announced the holding of panchayat elections in Jammu and Kashmir from January 15 and the formal notification being issued within a couple of days, there is hardly any activity discernible in the state. The notification for the first phase was announced today.

No doubt the staff in the Department of the Chief Electoral Officer, who has been nominated the election authority, is busy repairing and painting ballot boxes, the authorities concerned are yet to carry out the exercise for ensuring adequate security arrangements before and during the polling.

One senior BSF officer said, “we have not been approached for making security forces available during the eight phase poll”, He added, “We are already short of manpower and we may be able to provide security cover in limited areas.”

Despite the fact that the elections were to be held on a non-party basis, political parties, especially the BJP and the Congress, are worried over the way the state government has neglected the security aspect required for the proposed poll. Several leaders have said that since the separatists in the state have urged the people to stay away from the poll process, the contesting candidates for the posts of panches and sarpanches need a security cover.

If senior Hurriyat leaders are permitted to cross over to Pakistan on January 15 for holding talks with the militants, they have decided that they would issue strict instructions to the people to boycott the elections.

Report with security agencies have revealed that the step-up in militancy related violence in different parts of the state was not only aimed at wrecking the peace process initiated by the Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, but also to sabotage the plan for holding the panchayat elections in the state after a gap of 23 years.

However, state government functionaries said that despite shortage of security personnel, the police would be able to take care of the security system during the polling. They said it was because of the government’s concern for the security of the candidates and the voters that the Cabinet had decided on an eight-phase poll schedule. They explained that the gap between polling in one segment and the other was sufficient for the security forces to shift from one area to another.

It was made clear that providing security cover to each contesting candidate was not possible because of the shortage of manpower.

The functionaries stated that 40 companies of the paramilitary forces will be posted, besides the police, for ensuring peaceful elections. They said that the Central government had been approached for sanctioning additional companies of paramilitary forces. So far, there has been no response.

Meanwhile, several candidates today filed their nomination papers in the Kupwara segment, which along with Poonch and Rajouri districts, will go to the polls on January 15.

There are to be 21,000 constituencies of panches and 2700 of sarpanches in the state. The total electors eligible for exercising their franchise are 35.35 lakh.

About 80,000 poll staff would be deployed for conducting the massive exercise. These include 1,000 returning officers, one for three panchayats. They will be supported by about 2,000 assistant returning officers. There will be 44,000 polling officers and 11,000 presiding officers.

The majority of people in the state are keen to have elected panchayats but they are scared by the activities of fidayeen in the Kashmir valley. One senior police officer said, “We will not have much problem in conducting the poll in the Jammu region. We have to be alert as far as the Kashmir valley is concerned”