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Friday,
June 1, 2001, Chandigarh, India  
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GM Shah sticks to demand for tripartite talks
Ensure fair poll in J&K: Mufti |
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| Ceasefire period saw rise in violence Jammu, May 31 The six-month-long unilateral ceasefire in Jammu and Kashmir ended today after the government announced that further extension was to be given to non-initiation of combat operations against the militants. But in reality, the ceasefire had ended with the Prime Minister’s announcement on May 23. DISTRICT DIARY
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GM Shah sticks to demand for tripartite talks Srinagar, May 31 Talking to mediapersons along with the Centre’s chief negotiator, Mr K.C. Pant, at the former’s residence here this afternoon, Mr Shah held that the two parties, India and Pakistan had not been able to resolve the Kashmir issue over the past five decades. He asserted that the proxy war in Kashmir would continue or it might lead to an open war unless the Kashmiris, the third party to the dispute, were involved in any negotiations to resolve the dispute. In his comments, Mr Pant, who had earlier had a 35-minute meeting with the former Chief Minister, said this was a beginning of the process to earn a mutual trust. He clarified that the peace process was initiated at two levels — one at the level of the Prime Minister, who has invited the Pakistan Chief Executive, General Pervez Musharraf, and the other process of talks with various groups in Kashmir. To an assertion of the former Chief Minister, Ghulam Mohammad Shah questioning the government stand that Kashmir was an integral part of India, Mr Pant reiterated that there were legal and constitutional issues involved. Mr Pant had earlier visited Kargil district of Ladakh today, after he had similar visit to Leh yesterday where he met leaders of various religious, social and political organisations. Mr Pant is scheduled to visit Jammu tomorrow before his departure for New Delhi on Monday.  |
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Ensure fair poll in J&K: Mufti New Delhi, May 31 Addressing a press conference at his residence, Mr Sayeed, who is also the President of the Jammu and Kashmir People’s Democratic Party (JKPDP), said “after India’s Lahore Bus initiative and Pakistan’s Kargil misadventure, the Centre has taken a bold step in the right direction”. Describing the invitation as a challenging task” Mr Sayeed said apart from Kashmir there were hosts of issues, including strengthening of trade ties and encouraging people to people contact by relaxing the visa regime, which needed to be taken up between the leadership of the two countries. In the age of globalisation, there was a realisation both in India and Pakistan that the two countries could not remain in confrontational mode, Mr Sayeed said, adding that the coming dialogue at the summit level in New Delhi was more significant now particularly for the people of the state. The Prime Minister’s invitation had raised hopes in Kashmir, Mr Sayeed said, adding that Kashmir is attached more importance to the meeting between the two heads of the governments. He, however, hastened to add that no magical outcome should be expected from the summit as Kashmir was a “complicated issue.” “Nobody has a magic lamp to solve the issue”, he said adding that “it is a gradual process and will take time”. Talking of the All-Party Hurriyat Conference’s decision of rejecting the Centres interlocutor, Mr K.C. Pant’s invitation of talks, the former Home Minister said though it was a setback but they would have to “come around” at some stage. |
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Ceasefire period saw rise in violence Jammu, May 31 A senior Army officer said “we started operations against the militants right from the morning of May 24.” The state government reports on the comparative militancy-related violence graph vindicated the stand of those who had opposed further extension of the ceasefire. According to government figures, there was a rise in incidents of granade attack, bomb blast, arson, rocket attack and random firing during the ceasefire period. During the past 184 days since November 28 till date there were 2,124 such incidents against 1655 during the corresponding period prior to the ceasefire. The ceasefire period saw 230 grenade attacks, 193 bomb blasts, 123 cases of arson, 501 random firing cases against 184, 144, 73 and 297, respectively, during 184 days of pre-non initiation of ceasefire. Similarly, the rate of civilian killings jumped during the ceasefire. The figure was 547 against 457 between May 28, 2000 and November 27, 2000. As many as 263 police and other security personnel were killed by the militants during the past six months against 221 during the pre-ceasefire period. While the rate of killing of security personnel and civilians increased, the rate of elimination of rebels during the ceasefire decreased. As many as 947 militants were killed by the security forces between May 28, 2000 and November 27, 2000 against 588 during the past six months. During the past six months, 181 militants were arrested against 364 during the pre-ceasefire period. At least 79 rebels had surrendered before the security forces in various parts of the state six months before the ceasefire against 33 in the past 184 days. An indepth study of government reports indicates that the security forces carried out more specific operations against the rebels in Jammu during the six months of the ceasefire than in the Kashmir valley. Despite the fact that more areas in the valley were infested by militants than in the Jammu region, 282 rebels were killed in Kashmir against 306 in Jammu. Out of 306 rebels eliminated during the past six months, 150 were killed in Poonch followed by 66 in Rajouri district. But those who do not see any alarming rise in the killing of security forces, including the police, explain that if during the ceasefire period 263 security personnel were killed, their number was over 246 between November 28, 1999, and May 30, 2000. The Army and the BSF suffered the highest casualty of 208 against 196 during the past 184 days. However, protagonists of end to the ceasefire had maintained that the rate of militants’ arrest, too, had dropped during the ceasefire. Between November 28, 1999, and May 30, 2000, as many as 334 rebels had been arrested which further increased to 364 between May 28, 2000, and November 27, 2000. This fell to 181 during the ceasefire period. The figure of surrendered ultras was 41, 78 and 33 for the respective periods. No doubt India had gained political mileage with the enforcement of the ceasefire, but ground realities, including negative response from separatists and rebels and spread of activities of foreign mercenaries to other areas are said to have forced the government to reject the demand for another extension. There was a series of incidents of custodial killings of civilians and militants during the ceasefire period which gave a chance to the separatists to raise the bogey of “Indian atrocities.” Preliminary investigations by the police and the Army have found that incidents of excesses were played up to motivate people to support the anti-India “jehad”. Now that the ceasefire has been withdrawn formally, it is to be seen whether the security forces will be able to make any material difference in the level of militancy. No doubt operations against
rebel hideouts are called for, but observers are of the opinion that in case the common man feels inconvenienced and harassed, the anti-insurgency operations may prove counter-productive. It is in this context that the security forces have been asked to launch operations only after receiving specific information about the rebel hideouts. |
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DISTRICT DIARY Udhampur Farmers have been growing two or three crops during the year under the guidance of the Mushroom Development Department. In the district 104 units have been established for mushroom cultivation, with 77 of these in Udhampur block. Besides, 134 dhingri units were set up in the district during the year. The production of dhingri is nearly 15 quintals. The department is taking steps to set up more mushroom and dhingri units. *** There are several hill stations and other tourist areas in Udhampur district like Mantlai, Shudhmahadev, Patnitop, Sanasar Kud, Natha Top, Mansar Lake, Sruinsar Lake and Panchari. There are also some places which attract devotees like the Vaishnodevi shrine, Shiv Khori, the holy Devika river, Gouri-Kund, Aghar Bawa Jitto and Shiv Mandir at Mongri. Between 60 lakh and 80 lakh people visit these places every year. However, adequate facilities are not being provided by the Tourism Department at these places. There is at present an acute shortage of drinking water in the Vaishnodevi area, Patnitop and other places.There are complaints that proper attention is not being given by the authorities to solve various problems of pilgrims and tourists. A few months ago the office of the Deputy Director, Tourism, was approved by the government for Udhampur but so far it has not yet been set up. The office of the Tourist Officer at Udhampur is housed in a small building. No literature is made available by the department to tourists. Besides, no facility is available at Udhampur for booking tourism huts and dak bungalows at Patnitop, Sanasar, Mansar, etc. Meanwhile, the state government is considering a proposal to shift the base camp of the Amarnath yatris from Jammu. Residents say Udhampur will be the most suitable place for this purpose. They say that at the time of the Amarnath yatra permission should be granted for the registration of at least 1,000 persons at Udhampur on an experimental basis. *** The District Library here is housed in a government building near Dogra Market. The size of the library hall is inadequate for keeping books and other material. The staff of the library also sit in the hall. There is one reading room for the public on the ground floor in which not more than three or four persons can sit at a time. Books are few in number and racks and almirahs are in poor condition. Residents say there should be at least one big hall for keeping books, magazines, etc, a small hall for reading and an office room for accommodating the library staff. |
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