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Wednesday,
April 17, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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LeT, Jaish ultras active again Kashmiri fruit growers hail govt decision Amity survives through bloodshed BJP leaders demand Azad’s arrest Dismiss NC govt, Governor urged |
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LeT, Jaish ultras active again Jammu, April 16 According to official sources, these activists have completed the process of regrouping and in recent days they have carried out several operations against the security forces and workers belonging to mainstream political parties. The Pakistan Government released several leaders of these outfits on the plea that there were no cases against them. This was treated as an indirect signal to their activists in Jammu and Kashmir that Islamabad supported their armed campaign. As a result of this regrouping, militants have carried out a series of attacks on security pickets in various parts of the state. Reports said in several areas in south Kashmir, besides Poonch and Rajouri, activists of the Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad, besides Hizbul Mujahideen, have been moving freely. The rise in the level of militancy-related violence, aimed at discouraging people from participating in any pre-poll activity, has unnerved mainstream political leaders. Leaders belonging to the National Conference, the Congress, the PDP and the Awami League had begun organising public rallies. However, the exercise has been affected after several political activists, most of them belonging to the National Conference, were killed in recent days in the Kashmir valley. Senior officers of security agencies said they expected a “hot summer” as the level of infiltration from across the LoC in the coming days was going to rise. They said they had received reports that foreign mercenaries, especially those from Afghanistan, would form a large part of the infiltrators after the mountain border routes became passable with the melting of snow. It is in this context that the state government has asked the Centre to send additional companies of paramilitary forces. The state has explained to Union Home Ministry functionaries that after the troops were withdrawn from the depth areas and deployed on the border as part of India’s military buildup, militants had resurfaced in areas which had been “sanitised”. |
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Kashmiri fruit growers hail govt decision Srinagar, April 16 Addressing a press conference here today, Mr G.N. Kaboo, Export Co-ordinator of the Jammu and Kashmir Fruit and Vegetable Growers-cum-Dealers Association, said the measures included financial assistance and abolition of 12 per cent commission charges in Delhi markets from the fruit growers. He said the supply of sub-standard pesticides and fertilisers in the state and “malpractices adopted by the commission agents in Delhi” were a matter of great concern. With these steps, the fruit growers and forwarding agents have heaved a sigh of relief, Mr Kaboo said. He added that the deduction of commission at the rate of 12 per cent from the grower was illegal and it had been decided that the commission agents would instead charge commission at the rate of 6 per cent from the customers. The fruit industry, second most important industry after tourism in Kashmir, according to the fruit growers, provided employment to 80 per cent population and earned an annual business of over Rs 1,500 crore. |
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Amity survives through bloodshed Srinagar, April 16 Twelve years ago this temple was burnt and razed and the place deserted. Things started changing when the only Pandit couple in the village met the state’s Works Minister Ali Mohammad Sagar and sought finances to rebuild the temple. Funds were granted immediately and reconstruction started. Muslim neighbours shouldered the responsibility of getting the work done. The Pandit couple oversaw the work so that everything was done to perfection. “During the minister’s recent visit to our locality, I took up the issue with him and he agreed to release the funds for rebuilding the temple’’, said Mohini who along with her husband, Kashi Nath, chose to stay back even as others from their community migrated in the wake of militancy. Prior to migration nearly 1,000 Pandits were putting up in the Bulbul Lanker locality of downtown Srinagar. The area was once considered a hotbed of militants, but today things have changed all together. “Nobody has even thought of harming us. We have been living here for ages and everyone has been kind enough. It is with the blessings of God and fellow Muslims that the temple has again been reconstructed, said Mohini. All workers engaged in the reconstruction of the temple right from labourer to mason, carpenter to supervisor, are Muslims. “We take every care to respect this religious place. There are so many things written on the walls in Hindi which we cannot read. But we know that these are the names of gods and goddesses. Therefore, extra precaution is taken to prevent its desecration”, said Abdul Rasheed, head labourer. For the past 20 days the construction work of the temple has been going on war footing and nearly 25 persons have been engaged. “The temple was in a bad shape. But we are reconstructing it on modern lines. Marbles, tiles and other costly items are being used to give the temple a modern look’’, said Rouf Ahmad, supervisor. The Pandit couple are very enthusiastic over the temple reconstruction work. But they have apprehensions about its security for once the work has been completed, it would need security. “During day I can personally look after the temple, but somebody should guard it during the night hours”, said Mohini demanding a police post near it to keep militants away.
PTI |
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BJP leaders demand Azad’s arrest Jammu, April 16 Addressing a news conference here today, Mr Piara Singh, Mr Ashok Khajuria and Mr Hans Raj
Dogra, MLAs and Mr Sat Pal Grover, said scores of militants arrested from Soti in Doda district, Mr Azad’s native village, had been later released by him. They alleged that as AICC General Secretary, he had shielded separatists and one of his cousins was still a senior functionary of the All-Party Hurriyat Conference in Jammu. The BJP leaders said Mr Azad had intervened and got his arrested cousin released on several occasions. They blamed him for “playing politics”. Instead of helping the Centre and the state government in restoring peace in Gujarat, Congress leaders were trying to sow the seeds of hatred, they alleged. They said Congress leaders like Mr Azad were providing fodder to the Pakistan propaganda by making “irresponsible” statements. They said Mr Azad was trying to win back the confidence of Ms Sonia Gandhi by indulging in mudslinging against the Prime Minister. The BJP leaders also accused the Farooq Abdullah regime of stopping the flow of funds for development works in Jammu. They alleged that since September last, no funds had been released for development works in the city and the amount released had been spent on the development works in areas inhabited by Kashmiri bureaucrats, legislators and ministers. They referred to Bhatindi area in the city. |
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Dismiss NC govt, Governor urged Jammu, April 16 In a memorandum to the President of India, copies of which were released by him at a news conference here today, Prof Bhim Singh sought the intervention of the President so that the state was “liberated” from the alleged corrupt rule. Prof Bhim Singh said the NC regime had lost control over civil and law-enforcing agencies, with the result that the state administration had collapsed. He alleged that corruption had touched new heights and the state government had openly “misused” central funds. The Panthers Party chief said Central funds released for providing relief to border migrants of Jammu had either been misused by the state government or diverted to other sectors. He said the state government had “hijacked” the Central team which had been sent to study the problems of migrants from the border areas in Jammu. |
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