J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Ultras told to stay put in J&K
Jammu, September 18
Pakistani agencies, which have been providing assistance to militants, have adopted a stand contradictory to the one adopted by Islamabad and have asked “rebel leaders” not to pull out of Jammu and Kashmir.

4 militants killed in valley
Srinagar, September 18
Four militants, including two self-styled commanders of Pakistan-based outfits, and a woman were killed in separate encounters while the security forces arrested a suspected militant in the Kashmir valley since last night, an official spokesman said today.

Bhim Singh for showing no leniency to ultras
Jammu, September 18
The National Panthers Party headed by Prof Bhim Singh has warned the government against any laxity in dealing with militants in various parts of the Jammu region, especially in Doda and Udhampur districts, on the ground that the situation has assumed “alarming” dimensions.

Concern over attacks on Sikhs in USA
Jammu, September 18
At an emergency meeting held here today the state unit of the Akali Dal has expressed deep concern over the murderous attacks on Sikhs in the USA, the UK and other countries.

Tribune agent succumbs to burns
Srinagar, September 18
The sole distributor of The Tribune in Kashmir, Farooq Abdullah Raja, 43, died of burns here last week.

Ultras told to stay put in J&K
M. L. Kak
Tribune News Service

Jammu, September 18
Pakistani agencies, which have been providing assistance to militants, have adopted a stand contradictory to the one adopted by Islamabad and have asked “rebel leaders” not to pull out of Jammu and Kashmir.

Since September 12, soon after the USA was rocked by terrorist strikes thereby thickening shadows of a war against Afghanistan, more than 50 militants have crossed back to occupied Kashmir and more than 30 have been killed who were on way to Pakistan. As reports circulated that foreign mercenaries operating in Jammu and Kashmir have been asked to pull out from the Indian state, the Pakistan agencies stepped in and asked the militants to stay put.

A disclosure to this effect was made by the chief spokesman for the Lashkar-e-Toiba outfit, Abu Osama, who said the fidayeen attack on the Handwara police post, in which nine policemen were killed and 10 others injured yesterday, was an “answer to the reports that we were being told to pull out”. He said, “We are here to intensify our armed campaign.”

The idea of recalling the foreign mercenaries from Jammu and Kashmir had been warranted by Islamabad’s fears that it may be at the receiving end during the possible US strikes on Afghanistan and on those promoting terrorism. Now that Islamabad finds itself in a slightly comfortable position after it extended full cooperation to the US Government, it has decided to ask the militants to keep the armed campaign alive. The Pakistani authorities do not want to allow the “movement” to meet a slow death as that could freeze the Kashmir issue.

After the September 11 terrorist strikes on key US targets, the level of militancy-related violence and activities had nosedived. This is borne out from official reports.

Between September 5 and 11 there were 31 bomb, IED and mine explosions in different parts of the state. During this period there were eight grenade explosions and one fidayeen attack. In these attacks, 26 security personnel, 23 civilians and 58 militants were killed. However, between September 12 and 17 there were 10 blasts, four grenade attacks and two fidayeen attacks in which 13 security personnel, 20 civilians and 36 militants were killed.

Government functionaries, explaining this development, said the decline in the level of violence could be a temporary phase because militants were in a fix on the call for pulling out of Jammu and Kashmir and were keen to remain engaged in watching the day-to-day developments across the border. According to the functionaries, a section of those militants, who have been told to shift from the arms training camps to inhabited villages across the border, may be pushed into Jammu and Kashmir for escalating the level of violence.

The functionaries, basing their information on field reports, said the militants had been directed to target the Indian security forces so that columns of the troops and paramilitary forces remained engaged within the state in tackling militancy leaving no scope for them to be deployed on the border for checking infiltration. In spite of these instructions, the reports said a majority of Afghan guerrillas were keen to return to Afghanistan and join the Taliban in their possible fight with US forces and against those who have lent full cooperation to the US Government.

But their plan to cross over to Pakistan has been thwarted after the Indian security forces eliminated more than 30 militants who were trying to cross back into Pakistan.

As a result of these developments, the security scenario in Jammu and Kashmir is unlikely to witness any dramatic change for the better because Pakistan is yet to come under pressure for suspending its moral and material aid to the militants in Kashmir.

4 militants killed in valley

Srinagar, September 18
Four militants, including two self-styled commanders of Pakistan-based outfits, and a woman were killed in separate encounters while the security forces arrested a suspected militant in the Kashmir valley since last night, an official spokesman said today.

The injured jawan has been hospitalised. PTI

Bhim Singh for showing no leniency to ultras
Tribune News Service

Jammu, September 18
The National Panthers Party headed by Prof Bhim Singh has warned the government against any laxity in dealing with militants in various parts of the Jammu region, especially in Doda and Udhampur districts, on the ground that the situation has assumed “alarming” dimensions.

Prof Bhim Singh told newsmen here today after completing a 10-day tour of the two districts along with a group of senior party leaders that it was a “state of war” in the state and in case suitable measures were not taken people would migrate from the militancy-infested areas.

He cited a number of instances while blaming a section of the state administration being in league with the militants. He wanted some police officers posted in Doda and Udhampur districts to be transferred.

Prof Singh said instead of encouraging democratic activities to grow, officers and their subordinate staff were discouraging mainstream political leaders who were keen to give a political fight to the separatists.

He urged the Prime Minister to consider the demand for installing an all parties’ government in Jammu and Kashmir because the National Conference had failed to deliver the goods. He alleged that the ruling party had neither taken measures to meet the challenge of the militants nor initiated measures to minimise economic distress of the people.

Prof Bhim Singh accused the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, of toeing the US line and said that by supporting the US Government’s plan to attach Afghanistan Mr Vajpayee had weakened India’s commitment to nonalignment.

The Panthers Party Chairman said that this cooperation could convert India into another Korea or Kuwait allowing the Americans to set up their “military bases”. He stated that it would also affect the India’s trade links with its neighbours, especially the Arabs and endanger its security.

Concern over attacks on Sikhs in USA
M. L. Kak
Tribune News Service

Jammu, September 18
At an emergency meeting held here today the state unit of the Akali Dal has expressed deep concern over the murderous attacks on Sikhs in the USA, the UK and other countries.

The meeting which was presided over by Mr Jagdev Singh, president of the state unit of the Akali Dal, expressed shock over the way Sikhs were mistaken for Arabs and targeted by some youths. The Akali leaders cited instances in which even those Sikhs who had been living in the USA for the last over 12 years were not spared. The Akali leaders urged the US Government and the authorities in other European countries to initiate measures to infuse confidence among the Sikhs who had contributed to the economic progress of these countries.

Mr Gurdev Singh appealed to the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, to take up the issue with the US Government afresh so that Sikh students did not suffer as they had been forced to remain indoors for the last five days. The Akali leaders condemned the terrorist strike in the USA and observed two-minute silence in memory of those killed in the strike by the terrorists.

Leaders belonging to Gurdwara Prabandhak Board, AISSF, Youth Akali Union, and Bhai Kanahiya Nishkam Sewa Society participated in the meeting and demanded measures across the world to ensure protection to the Sikhs and other Indian citizens living in the USA, the UK and Germany.

Tribune agent succumbs to burns
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, September 18
The sole distributor of The Tribune in Kashmir, Farooq Abdullah Raja, 43, died of burns here last week.

Raja, proprietor of Abdullah News Agency, received severe burn injuries in an accidental fire at his shop on September 2. He was admitted to SMHS Hospital here and was later shifted to SKIMS, Soura. He breathed his last on September 12. He is survived by three minor daughters, wife and mother.

Raja joined his father, the late Haji Mohammad Abdullah Raja, to run the business right from his childhood. After the death of his father in 1988, Raja took the reins of the business in his hands and had been running the popular Abdullah News Agency since then.