J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Panel on International Year of Mountains formed
Srinagar, May 3
While the Central Government is yet to constitute its national committee on the celebrations and activities related to the International Year of Mountains — 2002, as declared by the UN, the Jammu and Kashmir Government has already framed its state-level committee.

Seven ultras shot along LoC
Jammu, May 3
Security forces shot dead seven militants who were trying to infiltrate into India along the LoC in Baryani Gali of the Poonch sector early today.

Kashmiri Pandits seek MPs’ aid
Jammu, May 3
The All-State Kashmiri Pandit Conference has sent a 13-page memorandum, which includes documents of land and houses, to all members of the Lok Sabha with the request that they should raise the issue of discrimination of the Pandit community in the house along with the events that took place in Gujarat.

Course to promote vegetable produce
Srinagar, May 3
Agriculture and horticulture sectors generate an annual income of Rs 24 crore in the state and efforts are underway to further boost it by way of utilising all resources available in the two sectors.

Panel on International Year of Mountains formed
Ehsan Fazili
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, May 3
While the Central Government is yet to constitute its national committee on the celebrations and activities related to the International Year of Mountains — 2002, as declared by the UN, the Jammu and Kashmir Government has already framed its state-level committee. A six-member committee headed by the Commissioner, Department of Tourism, Mr Mushtaq Ahmad Ganai, has already been constituted. Other members of the committee include Principal Conservator of Forests, Chief Wildlife Warden, Director of Environment, Secretary, Education Department and the Director-General of Tourism. The committee held its first meeting in Jammu last month and is scheduled to meet on May 8 in Srinagar to oversee what could be done in connection with the current International Year of Mountains. Over five months of the year have already elapsed and concrete steps in this regard are yet to be taken.

Some decisions taken by the committee at its meeting held last month include holding seminars involving a broad spectrum of society and high-profile personalities from different walks of life like doctors, lawyers, judges, educationists, environmentalists and others.

Educational institutions from the school level to the university level are also being involved in these activities, said Mr Mohammad Ashraf, Director-General of Tourism, Jammu and Kashmir Government. He added that these educational institutions would also celebrate mountain day in their respective institutions and take their students for excursion to mountain areas. The main focus of attention have to be the people living in these mountain areas, Mr Ashraf said, adding that awareness about people had also to be at the centre of activity. In the multi-hued year-long celebrations, a thrust would also be given to meetings with people like Gujjar and Bakerwals (nomads) living in mountain areas. Since mountains are an important part of the eco-system, the activities include measures to develop these areas, said a senior official of the Tourism Department.

The Tourism Department conducted snow-skiing training camps in Gulmarg last winter, after the entire valley witnessed heavy snowfall this year after a gap of four years. “We wanted to involve only locals in these training camps for improvement of their life” in connection with the international year of mountains, said a tourism official adding that this could not materialise for want of a concrete policy. Mr Bashir Ahmad, a resident of Tangmarg, said the snow slopes of Gulmarg remained restricted to the school and college students during the winter months where training was imparted to them. He lamented that there was no programme involving the residents of the areas around, who have been totally dependent on tourism flow to the scenic spot.

Seven ultras shot along LoC
Tribune News Service

Jammu, May 3
Security forces shot dead seven militants who were trying to infiltrate into India along the LoC in Baryani Gali of the Poonch sector early today.

Official reports said on an information given by the police the troops laid an ambush and the moment the infiltrators sneaked into the Indian territory they were killed even though the Pak forces provided them effective fire cover.

The police said five bodies were recovered and two were lying on the LoC and could not be picked up as the Pak troops continued unprovoked firing.

Six assault rifles, one pistol and large quantities of explosives were seized from the slain militants.

According to the police more than 32 infiltrators and ultras had been eliminated in Poonch district during the past 72 hours.

The Defence Ministry sources said that field reports had revealed that large groups of militants had been brought along the border by Pakistan to push them into Poonch and Rajouri.

In another incident, two ultras were gunned down by security forces in an encounter in the Gandoh area of Doda district. Some arms and ammunition were seized from the slain militants, he said.

Meanwhile, several Pakistani bunkers were destroyed in retaliatory firing and shelling by Indian troops across the Poonch sector while one woman was killed and a child injured in Pakistani firing across Jammu division since last evening, official sources said here.

They said Pakistani troops started heavy mortar fire in Degwar area of Poonch district around 6.30 pm yesterday forcing people to run for safety.

Shelling later spread to the Khar-Karnara, Karni, Salotri and Jhallas area of the district continuing till morning, the sources said adding Pakistani troops used 80-mm mortar shells and rockets.

One woman, identified as Khalija Begum, lost her life due to splinter injuries in Khari-Karmara while a child was injured in Jhallas village.

Indian troops retaliated and the exchange of shelling continued till morning. Several Pakistani bunkers were destroyed across the LoC with smoke billowing from the other side, sources said.

SRINAGAR: The security forces are locked in a fierce gun battle since last evening with militants holed up in a house at Karimabad in downtown Baramula and so far three soldiers and a civilian have been injured in the encounter.

Elsewhere, the security forces killed two Hizbul-Mujahideen militants at Khrew in Pulwama district during a search operation last night. Two AK rifles and other arms and ammunition were seized after the operation.

The encounter at Karimabad started last night when militants threw grenades and opened fire at the security forces during a search operation. When the forces retaliated the militants entered the house, which was immediately sealed off.

Kashmiri Pandits seek MPs’ aid
Tribune News Service

Jammu, May 3
The All-State Kashmiri Pandit Conference (ASKPC) has sent a 13-page memorandum, which includes documents of land and houses, to all members of the Lok Sabha with the request that they should raise the issue of discrimination of the Pandit community in the house along with the events that took place in Gujarat.

Releasing copies of the memorandum, ASKPC leaders, Mr Rira Lal Chatha, Mr M.L. Kalla, and Mr R.K. Raina, said the attention of the Lok Sabha members had been invited to the continued raw deal being meted to the displaced people by the state and Central Governments.

The memorandum has listed a series of atrocities having been committed on the community members since 1986, including the massacre of over 1200 Pandits and Sikhs in the valley between 1989 and 1995.

The ASKPC leaders have urged the Parliament members to intervene so that forcible acquisition of land and residential houses of the Pandits in some parts of Kashmir by the government and unauthorised occupation of their houses and grabbing of agricultural land and orchards by fundamentalists was stopped.

The leaders have identified residential houses, land and even religious places which had been grabbed by non-government and government agencies. They informed the Lok Sabha members that on one hand the state government was preparing an action plan for the return of the migrants to the valley, on other hand, it was creating hurdles in the process.

They also referred to the growing unemployment among the community youth. During the past 13 years not more than 1,400 Pandit youths had been given government jobs against the recruitment of over one lakh youth belonging to the majority community. The promotion avenues, they stated, had been choked by the government and more than 8,000 employees who retired during the last one decade were not given any promotion which was due to them.

The ASKPC leaders were dismayed over the way politicians of various hues shed tears over the plight of the minorities, but remained mute spectators of the problems being faced by Pandits who were losing their identity.

Course to promote vegetable produce

Srinagar, May 3
Agriculture and horticulture sectors generate an annual income of Rs 24 crore in the state and efforts are underway to further boost it by way of utilising all resources available in the two sectors.

Teachers and scientists all over the country needed to be abreast with the latest knowledge, he added. UNI