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April 25, 2001, Chandigarh, India   
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Crucial
APHC meeting today Hashim Qureshi
urges Hurriyat to join talks Census a fraud:
Jammu Morcha 90,000
hectares made green |
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STs may get quota in House:
CM Lawyers’ strike
paralyses work 2 youths killed
in group clash
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Crucial
APHC meeting today Jammu, April 24 The crux of the expressions and speeches of the 21 members of Working Committee and 23 members of the General Council, according to a senior APHC leader, was that India should not be trusted on the basis of its track record. Members referred to the 1972 Delhi Agreement and the Indira-Sheikh accord of 1974, stating that the government had failed to fulfil the promises it had made to Sheikh Abdullah. As such, it was risky to trust the Government of India. The majority of members at the two meetings questioned the rationale behind the bilateral talks. They said since Kashmir was not an internal problem talks between the two sides — separatists and the government — could not lead to the settlement of the Kashmir issue. They wanted Pakistan to be involved in the talks too. There was a consensus over the need for allowing the APHC team to visit Pakistan before parleys between the government and the APHC. If the APHC Executive Committee gives weightage to the opinion of the majority, as is expected, it will move forward only if its team is allowed to visit Pakistan. A senior APHC leader, whose voice is respected in the organisation, said that: “If we do not go to Pakistan, we will lose credibility.” Elaborating, he said “by agreeing to hold talks either without being given travel documents to visit Pakistan or without seeing Pakistan involved in the parleys, we will be blamed for negotiating under the Indian agenda.” He said a majority of members were critical of the government’s U-turn as far as the APHC visit to Pakistan was concerned. He said initially “we were informed that we could visit Pakistan anytime we liked, but later the government kept delaying the release of passports,” he added. When reminded that the APHC should realise the problems of a coalition government at the Centre, he said: “We realise it but we too have our compulsions.” He said “we are not for talks for the purpose of talks. We want a purposeful and meaningful dialogue which could lead to the settlement of the Kashmir issue and restoration of peace in the state. In reply to a question, he said “We had shown the path to peace to the government but Delhi created hurdles. with the result, there has been no progress. Asked whether the APHC would, in the light of the speeches and views expressed by the members of the Working Committee and the General Council turned down the offer for talks, the senior leader said, “We will neither reject the offer nor accept it under the conditions dictated by the Government of India.” He said possibly on April 26, “we will come out with a detailed statement in which we may explain our stand as far as the acceptance or rejection of the talks are concerned.” |
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Hashim Qureshi
urges Hurriyat to join talks New Delhi, April
24 In a statement from the jail, he said the Hurriyat should respond favourably to the invitation of Mr
K.C. Pant, the man appointed by the Indian Government for talks. The people of the state have to be relieved of sufferings and “every sincere Kashmiri should contribute to it by making an effort of resolving the issue through a dialogue”, he said.
Qureshi, who was involved in the 1971-hijacking of the Indian Airlines aircraft to Lahore said, “the people should not refuse to join the talks as their cause is a right one”.
UNI |
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Census a fraud:
Jammu Morcha Jammu, April 24 The Morcha chief, Prof Virender Gupta, told newspersons that in case the government gave weightage to Kashmiri leaders as far as the settlement of Kashmir issue was concerned, they would have no objection but the agreement reached between the two sides should not be thrust on the people of Jammu and Ladakh. Prof Gupta said the government should not ignore the wishes Shias in Kashmir constituting 25 per cent of the valley’s population, Gujjars, comprising 20 per cent of population, Kashmiri Pandits and other ethnic groups. He said Jammu and Ladakh should be kept out of purview of any settlement or agreement with the Kashmiri leaders and the most suitable solution in that case would be to grant separate statehood for Jammu and Ladakh. Referring to the recently concluded census operation, he alleged that the census document was nothing but a fraud. He said actual enumeration work had not been carried out in the valley and the figures manipulated to hoodwink interests of the Jammu province. He alleged that the latest census figures had indicated that the valley’s population had registered a growth rate of 73.06 per cent against 61.7 per cent registered in the Jammu region. He said this was unpalatable because between 1981 and 2000 more than five lakh persons had migrated from the valley and the 10-year-long turmoil had caused heavy toll on life. |
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90,000
hectares made green Jammu, April 24 The area covered during this period includes 13,202 hectares under restoration of degraded forests, 6,032 hectares under village wood lot, 4,621 hectares under area oriented fuel wood and fodder development
programme, 2,454 under institutional plantation, 1,889 hectares under eco-fuel wood plantation, 1,225 under eco-task force, 170 hectares under cold desert development and 91 hectares under strip plantation. It has been assessed that total forest cover of 9.42 lakh hectares that is 40 per cent of the forest cover in Jammu and Kashmir, stands denuded. Since a total of 90,000 hectares of degraded forests have been restored till date, a balance area of 8.52 lakh hectares is required to be treated. During 2000-2001 the state government has submitted several new projects to the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests for availing financial assistance for various afforestation
programmes. These projects will cover an area of 1,86,315 hectares at a cost of Rs 10,000
crore. Besides, the project for integrated afforestation will be implemented at Baramula to cover 9,865 hectares at a cost of Rs 12
crore, at Indira Hills Tral belt to cover 3,850 hectares at a cost of Rs 3.83
crore, at Billani to cover 2,300 hectares at a cost of Rs 2 crore and in Zawoora Lam belt to cover 2,100 hectares at a cost of Rs 2.30
crore. During the current financial year, a new Integrated Village Afforestation and Eco-Development Scheme has been taken up at a cost of Rs 4.7 crore in
Anantnag, Budgam, Kathua and Doda districts. The government of India has released Rs 1.5 crore under phase-I so far. The scheme is being implemented through Forest Development Agency (FDA) and with the help of 200 village forest committees
(UFC). The amendment made in the J and K Societies Registration Act has enabled the forest officers to register these FDAs and VFCs in shortest possible time. |
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STs may get quota in House:
CM Jammu, April 24 Addressing a meeting of the Jammu and Kashmir State Advisory Board for the uplift of Gujjar and Bakerwals here yesterday, the Chief Minister said representation of all sections in decision-making was necessary for the overall growth and development of the state. Some seats were already reserved for the scheduled castes, he added. About granting OBC and LAC quotas to Pahari-speaking people and border residents, the Chief Minister said this would not affect any other section enjoying reservations. He said instructions had been issued that the meritorius candidates of reserved categories should not be accommodated in their quota as such a step will be deterimental to their interests. Responding to the demand for giving representation to the nomadic population of the state in the panchayats, the Chief Minister said it might not be possible at present, but nomination of female nomads in the panchayats would be considered. Since the J and K Panchayat Raj Act was being amended, the people have been asked to forward their suggestions for making it more effective and need-based. The Chief Minister said setting up of a directorate for tribal development would be examined to give fillip to various schemes and welfare measures for the development of tribal areas in the state. Pointing that the Rehbar-e-Taleem programme had been launched in the state with an objective to making closed schools functional in the remote and far-flung areas, Dr Abdullah said relaxation for the Gujjar candidates in academic qualifications was to create employment opportunities for them. He asked the Recruitment Board to expedite the selection process for filling the posts of teachers and instructed the Education Department to examine if some sort of academic arrangement could be made till the selections were finalised. Dr Abdullah told the board members to visit the hostels for students in urban and semi-urban areas quite frequently and report to him about the conditions and facilities available to the inmates. He said he would be visiting various places to take stock of the condition of these hostels. He said a special drive had been launched by the police chief for recruiting Gujjar youth in the force to ensure their due representation. |
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Lawyers’ strike
paralyses work Srinagar, April 24 The directive was issued by association yesterday after the Jammu and Kashmir High Court directed the president of the bar, Nazir Ahmad Runga, to appear in person on May 4 in connection with contempt of court proceedings against him. The bar had ended its 24-day boycott of the courts on April 21 after a meeting between Mr Justice Bashiruddin and association members on April 20 which decided to sort out the issue amicably to maintain harmonious relations between the bar and the Bench. However, in a surprise move the high court yesterday directed Mr Runga to appear in person to answer the charge of contempt. The stand off between the bar and judiciary began when the high court initiated contempt proceedings against Mr Runga on March 28 for directing a lawyer not to argue a case as the lawyers had gone on strike from March 15 following an attack on the bar librarian by the security guard of a senior police officer.
PTI |
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2 youths killed
in group clash Jammu, April 24 The two rival groups led by Pradeep Gupta and Balwan Singh came to the JDA office at the Vikas Bhavan complex here to sort out the dispute over a residential plot in a colony here, the sources told PTI. However, after they came out of the room of the Chief Town Planner, the groups clashed, the sources said.
PTI |
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