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Wednesday,
May 2, 2001, Chandigarh, India  
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Nine militants killed in Jammu Shah undeterred by
threats Pro-jehad bodies debunk Shah’s
stance Winning hearts through welfare
programmes |
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Nine militants killed in Jammu
Jammu, May 1 The sources at media centre, Nagrota Corps, said a joint confidence-building patrol of security forces and the Jammu and Kashmir Police was attacked by militants in a forest area near Surankot this afternoon. The forces retaliated, eliminating three militants in the encounter which lasted for one hour. Two hideouts were also busted thereafter. The arms recovery included one pika gun, one AK 56 rifle, one sniper rifle, one pistol with two magazines and 22 rounds, 110 rounds of pika ammunition, three magazines of AK, 71 rounds of AK ammunition, seven hand grenades, one radio set, three pouches, rations and incriminating documents. In another incident this evening, the forces noticed movement of a group of militants in the thickly-wooded forest area around Mendhar Tehsil. The foreign militants, sensing the presence of the forces, opened indiscriminate fire and in the ensuing clash, two militants were eliminated. The sources said the slain militants owed allegiance to LeT and were residents of Swalpilikh (PoK). In the search carried out after the encounter, troops recovered 2x AK rifles, 5x AK magazines, 104 AK ammunition, 4x hand grenades and a pouch full of clothing and eatables. The individual identity of the slain militants was being ascertained. In another incident near Surankot, a confidence-building patrol noticed suspicious movement of two militants last night. When challenged, the militants opened heavy volume of fire by automatic weapons on the forces who retaliated, killing one terrorist. An official spokesman said security forces killed three LeT men in two different encounters, one at Dhabi Balakote in Rajouri and the other at Taran Wali in the Doda district. Two AK rifles, five magazines, four grenades and five IEDs were recovered from the possession of the slain militants.
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Shah undeterred by
threats Jammu, May 1 “I have been in the movement for the past 35 years and I am not the man to get scared by hoarse cries,” he told TNS today. He said “it is God alone who giveth or taketh life.” When asked for comment on the demand raised by the Dukhtarani Milat (daughters of Islam), that Shah and those favouring bilateral talks be declared “La Deen” (infidel), Mr Shah said “everybody has his or her religion and nobody can issue a fatwah like this. He explained that he had not committed any sin. “I simply wanted to seek some clarification from the government, for which I have deputed three members of my party with a detailed letter.” He added “I have not opposed tripartite talks. I have been keen on getting a clear picture about the Government of India’s modalities for talks on the Kashmir issue.” Mr Shah said “if the bilateral talks moved on a positive note Pakistan could be involved at a later stage. “He made it clear that there could be no durable solution to the Kashmir issue if Pakistan and people of Jammu and Kashmir were not involved in the talks. He explained that in the past series of Indo-Pak talks could not make any headway because people of Jammu and Kashmir had not been involved in the parleys. The DFP chief also opposed the plan of the government to hold talks with leaders of different ethnic groups separately. “ I favour talks with genuine representatives of the people,” he said. The Jamaitul Mujahideen and Al-Umar, two rebel outfits, have threatened Shabir Ahmed Shah of dire consequences if he tried to become “another Yaser Arafat in Kashmir.” Supporters of Mr Shah felt pained over these threats saying that when the “gun does not solve the problem, we should seek dialogue.” They said Mr Shah had never accepted the finality of the state’s accession with India and he has become one of the front ranking freedom fighter in the state. Reports have revealed that the pro-Pak forces in Kashmir have motivated the APHC to reject the offer for talks which has seared others who had intentions to participate in the peace process. Yes, the Awami National Conference Chief, Mr
G. M. Shah, a former Chief Minister, has accepted K. C. Pant’s offer for talks. But his is not the voice that can clinch the issue. |
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Pro-jehad bodies debunk Shah’s
stance Srinagar, May 1 According to a local news agency, Jameel Ahmed, a spokesman for the Jamiat-ul Mujahideen in a faxed message from Pakistan has said that “nobody in Kashmir will be allowed to become another Yasser Arafat”. The spokesman added that Shabir Shah, chief of the JKDFP, had “now no links with Jehad in Kashmir”. He sharply reacted to the statement made by Shah for the people who claim to represent all the three regions of the state must not forget the sacrifices made in Kashmir. The outfit alleged that Shah had “friendly relations” with India. “The solution lies in Jehad only,” the spokesman said. Mushtaq Ahmad Zargar, chief of the Al-Umar Mujahideen, who is in Pakistan after his release in the exchange of the 154 Indian Airlines passengers at Kandhara on December 31, 1999, has also lashed out at the stand taken by Shah. In a telephonic message to some local newspaper offices here, Zargar said: “Shabir Shah is anti-movement and anti-Islamic. Al-Umar shall soon use force against him”, he threatened. He added that accession to Pakistan was the “only solution to the Kashmir problem.” |
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Winning hearts through welfare programmes Srinagar, May 1 ‘Allah sent them to save my life,’ says Noor, now under treatment at the Tangdhar Military Hospital. Two Army jawans donated blood to replenish what she lost due to haemorrhage. Nizammuddin, who used to work as a porter, lost a leg in Pakistan shelling last year. Not only has he been given an artificial leg, but also a job as an assistant to the unit tailor. These are but two of the many stories of valour of a different kind that the people have to tell about the “men in green”. For, while battling the enemy from across the borders and sometimes from within is its day-to-day work, the Army has decided that there is another way of winning the hearts of the people whom they are protecting — through welfare programmes. ‘Operation Sadhbhavana’, a Rs 3.5-crore civic action project funded by the Central Government, is one such scheme. A considerable amount of resources in terms of manpower, equipment and funds have been channelled by the Army into development activities in many backward villages of Kashmir, some right on the Line of Control (LoC), according to a senior defence officer here. The project is being executed under Lt-Gen J.R. Mukherjee, GoC, 15 Corps. The executive members of the body include Brig S.K. Ahuja, DDEME 15 Corps, and Brig H.S. Sehgal, handling Army logistics in the valley. The body has initiated all pilot projects successfully during the past two years. In a year’s time — given the long winters — several villages have seen the Army’s beneficial hand at work, resulting in an improved quality of life. In 1999, seven villages were covered under phase I in Kupwara and Baramula districts. Some of these villages including Keran, Jabri and Summanwali, are on the LoC, the officer adds. At present, phase II of Operation Sadhbhavna — which the Army hopes will become a “symbol of peace and development in this strife-torn state”, is in progress and its scope has been expanded to include more villages and additional facilities in some of the villages already adopted. Jabri at 9,500 feet is actually the Indian twin of Banda Vigildhar in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK), both now separated by a mere 300-m strip of paddy fields overlooked by Pakistan snipers. In winter, it is totally cut off by snow. It has now been provided with a Community Development Centre (CDC), equipped with a television set and a satellite receiver, a medical health centre and indoor recreation facilities. A water supply scheme based on gravity feed has also been commissioned, which works even in sub-zero temperatures, minimising the drudgery of water collection. The officer cited the case of Summanwali, which had the dubious distinction of unilaterally redrawing the LoC by simply transferring its allegiance to Pakistan a few years ago — only to ‘return to a better life’ after several months in ‘virtual purgatory’. In this remote village too, a community development centre has been set up. Ahagom in Pulwama district is another example of the welfare work done by the Army. The village suffered considerable collateral damage in a 1998 fight with militants, which lasted several days, resulting in the death of eight militants. The Central Government had promised to revamp Ahagom as a model village and entrusted this task to the Army. Consequently, apart from the generous compensation given to the local people whose property was damaged in the counter-insurgency operation, a major part of this village has been rebuilt as part of Operation Sadhbhavna. Two years down the line, it is the envy of the valley and boasts of facilities very few villages in Kashmir have, like a vocational training centre, a health centre, a veterinary centre, shopping complex and a rural sanitation scheme. It also has a water supply scheme to include tubewells, overhead tanks and a water distribution system. A new middle school equipped with computers working on Urdu software was inaugurated recently. The officer says that in Machhal, the north-western part of Kashmir, the locals swear by the Army. Besides medical care, a primary school funded by the Army is due to open from this academic session. The Army also provides artificial limbs to those who lost limbs in enemy shelling. A total of 198 handicapped people have so far been helped this way, the officer adds.
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