J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Be discreet with USA: Farooq 
Jammu, September 24
The Government of India should be discreet with the USA during the latter’s strikes against terrorists, especially in Afghanistan. One wrong step could invite bigger problems. “While handling one disease we should be sure that we do not attract disaster,” the Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, said this while speaking at a seminar on “The role of media in terrorism”, here today. 

Kashmiris queue up for Osama’s posters
Jammu, September 24
The demand for the portraits of Saudi-born terrorist Osama bin Laden in certain parts of the state is being construed by some intellectuals as an expression of anger against India and Pakistan, which have aligned with the US Government in its war against global terrorism.

Power sector: India, China may collaborate
Jammu, September 24
India and China are exploring the possibility of entering into collaboration in clear power technologies, equipment manufacturing and exchange of information on transmission and distribution network.

Women deplore diktat on burqa
New Delhi, September 24
The diktat of the Pakistan-based outfit, Lashkar-e-Jabbar (LeJ) to Kashmiri Muslim women to cover themselves in a “burqa” was deplored at a seminar here today organised by Muslim Women Forum.

Be discreet with USA: Farooq 
Tribune News Service

Jammu, September 24
The Government of India should be discreet with the USA during the latter’s strikes against terrorists, especially in Afghanistan.

One wrong step could invite bigger problems. “While handling one disease we should be sure that we do not attract disaster,” the Chief Minister, Dr Farooq Abdullah, said this while speaking at a seminar on “The role of media in terrorism”, here today. The seminar was organised by a local English daily.

Prominent political leaders and journalists, including Mr M.J. Akbar and Mr Dileep Padgaonkar, participated.

The Chief Minister said that it was as a result of the US military aid to Afghan Mujahideen that the then Soviet troops were forced to quit Afghanistan. Till the Soviet pull-out the Americans backed the Afghan Mujahideen and after that they were left to fend for themselves and gradually Afghanistan was destroyed and the Soviet Union was disintegrated.

He wanted India to learn a lesson from it and initiate measures to fight terrorism on its own. He said that it was not the time for India to launch an armed campaign against Pakistan. He favoured that New Delhi and Islamabad should resolve differences.

Dr Abdullah said Islamabad should understand that after the US war against terrorists in Afghanistan was over Washington may leave Pakistan to fend for itself as it had done in case of Afghanistan.

He said that he could not believe his eyes when he watched on television the US economic and military might being attacked by terrorists. Just one strike had forced the American government to declare a war against global terrorism.

He said that Washington used to describe the terrorist violence in Jammu and Kashmir as an “internal problem”. He said had it taken a serious note of series of complaints New Delhi had made to it, terrorists would not have hit the US might.

He said that the delay in realising India’s difficulties had darkened the war clouds. Aerial and ground strikes by the USA against Afghanistan would kill innocent people.

He had appealed to Pakistan to realise the dangers of encouraging terrorism. But Islamabad paid no heed “to my pleas” and kept on rearing the tiger of terrorism which was “now eating it”.

M.J. Akbar said that the media had played its role well. It was because of the media that an opinion against terrorism had been built, he said.

Terrorism was no longer confined to a particular region or country or to economically and militarily weak nations. It has the globe under its clutch. One is forced to rethink over the intelligence set-up even in the developed nations, Akbar and Padgaonkar said.

Mr Ajay Sadhotra, Minister for Rural Development, said that it was a mistake to treat the proposed American strike against any particular religion. He advised restraint to people of Jammu and Kashmir.

Kashmiris queue up for Osama’s posters
Tribune News Service

Jammu, September 24
The demand for the portraits of Saudi-born terrorist Osama bin Laden in certain parts of the state is being construed by some intellectuals as an expression of anger against India and Pakistan, which have aligned with the US Government in its war against global terrorism.

Soon after the US Government announced its war against Osama bin Laden and other terrorist groups his portraits are in big demand in several parts of the Kashmir valley.

A non-Muslim, who is selling portraits of different political leaders, film stars and scenic spots in the Lal Chowk area, said there was no end to the buyers.

Even official sources confirmed that the demand in various pockets of Anantnag district, Sopore and Baramula was higher than in other districts.

For those Kashmiris, who are enraged over Islamabad’s support to the proposed US attack on Afghanistan, have started treating him as a symbol of resistance against imperialism.

The buying of portraits in Kashmir has not been a new phenomenon. For several years houses of many influential traders remained adorned with the portraits of M.A. Jinnah. Later, when Z.A. Bhutto declared a 1000-year war against India over Kashmir he assumed a larger than life size in the valley. All of a sudden his portraits were also in great demand. The demand shot up when he was executed in 1979. After Bhutto’s memory faded people went in for the portraits of Gen Zia ul Haq.

As the governments and leadership kept on changing in Pakistan the demand for the portraits of some Pakistani leaders, depended on the nature of the political and military stance they adopted against India.

At one time a section of Kashmiris developed a craze for decorating their rooms with the portraits of Iranian spiritual leader, Ayatullah Khomeini, who was treated by them as a power against secular and imperialist culture.

A professor of psychology said, “the portrait war is part of the exercise aimed at expressing one’s frustration and anger.”

A political leader said, “You cannot win a war through portraits but you can win a poll battle with posters and portraits.” 

Power sector: India, China may collaborate
Tribune News Service

Jammu, September 24
India and China are exploring the possibility of entering into collaboration in clear power technologies, equipment manufacturing and exchange of information on transmission and distribution network.

In this connection, the Union Power Minister, Mr Suresh Prabhu, is on a tour of China, where he has had series of meetings with senior officers of the Chinese State Development Planning Commission, which looks after the generation and distribution of electricity.

According to a press release issued by the Power Grid Corporation of India, here, today, Mr Prabhu exchanged notes with the Chinese authorities on the power industry, its generation and transmission system.

The two sides evinced interest in the exchange of technologies and other allied assistance for the development of power sector in the two countries.

The two sides, according to the press note, also discussed the electricity availability scenario in the context of Californian power crisis.

When the minister visited Three Gorges Dam project, which when completed will generate 18,000 mw of electricity to become the world’s largest hydroelectric power project, he sought assistance from the Chinese experts in increasing the power generation potential which could be possible if the two sides tackle the problem jointly.

Women deplore diktat on burqa
Our Correspondent

New Delhi, September 24
The diktat of the Pakistan-based outfit, Lashkar-e-Jabbar (LeJ) to Kashmiri Muslim women to cover themselves in a “burqa” was deplored at a seminar here today organised by Muslim Women Forum (MWF). The diktat was termed as “un-Islamic”. The president of MWF, Syeda Saiyidain Hameed, said “covering of face in a veil (burqa) is not ordained anywhere in the Holy Quran”.