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Monday,
May 27, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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Fear stalks Hurriyat moderates Military preparedness
emphasised
Bad governance has not led to terrorism:
Farooq |
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3 soldiers hurt in IED
blast 2 die in police firing in Kashmir
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Fear stalks Hurriyat moderates Jammu, May 26 Supporters of Mr Lone have made it clear that the death warrant for the Hurriyat leader had been signed soon after he completed his trip to Pakistan in November, 2000, where he had gone in connection with the wedding of his son, Sajjad Lone, who married the daughter of the JKLF supremo, Mr Amanullah Khan. According to these supporters, some of them who were with the slain Lone, fundamentalists and government agencies in Pakistan did not relish repeated statements and speeches of Mr Lone in which he had suggested to Islamabad and leaders of rebel outfits to stop dictating terms to the Kashmiris. He had wanted that the strings of the freedom struggle should be left in the hands of the Kashmiris. In other words he had opposed the presence of foreign mercenaries in Jammu and Kashmir. The agencies across the LoC gave sufficient time to Mr Lone to change his stance but he remained firm on his perception of the situation. As word travelled across the border that Mr Lone had become leader of the moderates within the Hurriyat Conference and had been favouring a negotiated settlement the Pak agencies are said to have decided to silence the voice of Lone. The killers chose May 21 simply to convey a warning to Moulvi Umar Farooq, another Hurriyat leader, and who too has been blamed for toeing the line of Mr Lone. The warning was fully conveyed because the attack was carried out in the area which is a strong hold of Moulvi Umar Farooq and the venue was chosen where a rally was in progress in connection with the 12th death anniversary of Moulvi Farooq Mirwaiz. The killers selected May 21 to convey a direct threat to those separatists who were planning to meet Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, who had not yet taken off from Delhi for Jammu when Mr Lone fell to the bullets of the pro-Pak agents. And if the aim of the Pak agencies was to discourage people from participating in any political or pool process and for unnerving the moderates the mission has been fulfilled. Inside reports say that even after the assassination of Mr Lone the chasm between the hardliners and the moderates in the separatist camps has not been fully narrowed down. If all the leaders in these camps have decided to close their ranks it is the result of the survival instinct. Those who still believe that a major section in the separatist camps are not for Kashmir’s merger with Pakistan refer to the latest development. The Pakistan Embassy in Delhi had invited over 15 separatist leaders to attend the farewell it had organised in honour of Pakistan High Commissioner Jehangir Qazi. Except for Syed Ali Shah Geelani, known for his pro-Pak bias, no other leader travelled to Delhi to attend the farewell party when earlier several separatist leaders were seen soliciting a meeting with Embassy functionaries. Reports say that when Mr Lone fell to the bullets of the gunmen his close relatives had openly accused the Pak agencies, especially the ISI, of the barbaric act. But within hours the stand was reversed and many among the mourners started raising an accusing finger against the Indian security agencies, especially the men of the Special Task Force of the police. Informed sources say that pro-Pak rebels had conveyed a warning to many to shut their mouth or face the consequences. They have shut their mouth. They have reversed their stand. It is the result of fear that has gripped everyone in Kashmir. Fear has seemingly allowed a chance to the hardliners to take the upper hand when prior to Mr Lone’s assassination the moderates had started isolating the staunch pro-Pak lobby within the separatist camps. Observers are of the opinion that once the government forces succeed in forcing the militants to be on the run the situation on the political and security front could improve. |
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Military preparedness
emphasised Jammu, May 26 Delivering the second Brig Rajinder Singh memorial lecture, on the theme “Security concern of India”, organised by the Centre for National Security and Regional Studies in Jammu University today, Air Vice-Marshal Kapil Kak (retd) said before the Chinese aggression in 1962, India used to spend 1.59 per cent of its GNP on defence which was raised to 4 per cent after 1962 and had again been reduced to 2.4 per cent. He said meagre annual allocations for defence had not allowed India to be self-sufficient and fully equipped with the latest war weaponry. He said a perspective defence planning was required which was possible if planners received an adequate resource backup. He called for technological modernisation of the defence apparatus for meeting internal and external threats. Air Vice-Marshal Kak did not see in Pakistan a potential threat to India’s security and integrity. He said the real threat was from China which had occupied 38,000 sq km of the Indian territory and was demanding another 94,000 sq km. He said he was surprised when he saw Chinese maps showing whole of Arunachal Pradesh as part of China. He said China was trying to use Pakistan to destroy India because no power in the world would wish India to become a powerful nation, militarily and economically. He defended the military buildup and said it was part of coercive diplomacy that had inflicted heavy economic losses to Pakistan which “cannot bear an expenditure of Rs 3,400 crore on its military buildup.” He said India was economically better placed and the current allocations on defence could meet additional expenses on the miliatry buildup on the Pak border. He said it was the result of this buildup that Islamabad had been repeating its offer for talks and a stage had come when the international community was on the side of India as countries like the USA and the UK had realised that the war clouds hovering over the Indo-Pak border could rain fire any time. He wanted India not to underestimate strategic challenge posed by China as “we have remained engaged in meeting the threat from Pakistan only.” The ace defence analyst said the country required energy, food, economic security for ensuring socio-economic growth necessary for internal cohesiveness and territorial integrity. He said incidents like Godhra, Gujarat, 1984 riots and the demolition of the Babri masjid “weakened our strength to fight terrorism.” He said diplomatic pressure on Pakistan should be maintained otherwise limited war, including the nuclear strike, was inevitable. He said instead of using conventional weapons or nukes it was better for India to use the weapon of the Indus Water Treaty against Pakistan because war might not necessarily end terrorism. Air Vice-Marshal Kak said since democracies were vulnerable to terrorism, a firm mechanism should be evolved to check infiltration because it was not time for India to behave like a soft state. Blaming the successive governments in Delhi for being masters in adhocism, he said “a long-term policy is required for tackling the problem of internal security.” He said good governance and the rule of law be given weightage. In his address, Lt-Gen J.B.S. Yadava, GOC, 16 Corps, said the cessation of cross-border terrorism was important, adding that the troops were ready to meet any challenge. He assured that the Indian forces “will not fail the people and the geo-strategic interests of the people will not be compromised with”. General Yadava said “we are facing “nuclear terrorism” and it is not only for the Army and the other forces but for all sections of people to join hands for safeguarding the country’s security.” He wanted the nation’s investment in defence preparedness to become a permanent affair and there was no room for any bungling on this count. Prof R.R. Sharma, Vice-Chancellor, Jammu University, and Ms Rekha Chowdhary, Head Department of Political Science, welcomed prominent political leaders, intellectuals and Army and police officers. |
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Bad governance has not led to terrorism:
Farooq Jammu, May 26 Addressing a function in Jammu University as a chief guest, Dr Abdullah said so long as India continued to be “soft and weak” Pakistan would not give up its “needling tactics”. He said “The forces of Geroge Bush could fly over several countries to strike against terrorist bases in Afghanistan, but we cannot cross the LoC.” The Chief Minister said “I am not for war” and added that “But how long we have to see the dance of death and destruction in our state?” “I can say that it is sheer deception if we believe that China wants friendship with India.” China had been behaving like a friendly country after the arrival of the Dalai Lama in India as Beijing would not like Delhi to support his (Dalai Lama’s) claim over Tibet. He said now China was using Pakistan for “destroying India” and added that “the Chinese grenades and other assault rifles used by Pakistani mercenaries for killing people in Kashmir are not on sale in Raghunath Bazaar in Jammu.” These weapons and explosives had been sent by China to Pakistan. Besides these missiles and nuclear weapons had also been procured by Pakistan from China and the USA. Dr Abdullah said “No country wants India to be strong.” He advised Delhi to avoid walking on Russian or American sticks. “We are a weak nation and we do not have guts,” and added that Delhi should take firm steps in meeting the challenge posed by Pakistan. He said Delhi should stop committing blunder after blunder as far as Kashmir was concerned and in this context he referred to the Simla Agreement of 1972 and added that it was the biggest mistake. Had Delhi remained firm Pakistan would have agreed to treat the Kashmir issue as a closed case as it wanted over 90,000 PoWs back. The Chief Minister cautioned the people and the Indian Government against the dangers of religious intolerance and said besides Muslim fundamentalism Hindu youths were being imparted training on fanaticism and communal virus. He said Pakistani citizens, infiltrating into India, had started marrying Muslim women in different states to became Indian citizens. This trend, he said, had to be arrested. |
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3 soldiers hurt in IED
blast
Srinagar, May 26 An IED, planted by militants at the Nadihal-Garoora road in the Bandipora area of Baramula district, went off early today when an Army vehicle was heading towards Mansbal, where a function was underway, the sources said. The sources said the vehicle was damaged in the explosion resulting in injuries to three jawans travelling in it. Army personnel fired in retaliation wounding a pedestrian, who was admitted to a hospital. The whole area was immediately cordoned off by the security forces and a hunt had been launched to nab the militants involved in the incident, they said. The sources said the militants shot dead a person in Kupwara in north Kashmir early today. In another incident, the sources said the police recovered a bullet-riddled body from Hapdi village in the Shopian area of Pulwama district in south Kashmir last night. The cause behind his death is being ascertained. Meanwhile, at least 43 houses, a mosque and some cattle sheds were destroyed when a fire broke out in a village in Handwara in Kupwara district last night, police sources said. No loss of life was reported in the blaze which swept through the village due to high-velocity winds, Handwara Superintendent of Police Gareeb Das told mediapersons. Unofficial sources, however, claimed over 100 structures were gutted. In Bandipora town, a bridge was completely destroyed in a fire caused by a blast, the police said.
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2 die in police firing in Kashmir Srinagar, May 26 Official sources said the clash erupted over water distribution among villagers of Garend Kalan, Garend Khurd, Kakanmarg and Pymus in Badgam district forcing the police to intervene. Villagers used lathis, sharp-edged weapons and stones in the clash. The police had to open fire when the situation went out of control, the sources said. Two persons — Abdul Majeed Wani and Altaf Ahmad Bhat — were killed and several others injured. The villagers, however, alleged that the special operation group of the Jammu and Kashmir police and the Central Reserve Police Force, who were rushed to the area to control the situation, opened unprovoked firing on peaceful demonstrators.
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