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Wednesday,
July 3, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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Dharna by kin of missing in J&K
J&K trifurcation demand gets mixed
response Army unfolds plan for Kashmiris’
welfare |
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APHC to elect new chief
soon NC worker,
2 mercenaries shot dead Arrangements for J&K
session finalised
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Dharna by kin of missing in J&K Srinagar, July 2 The demonstration was peaceful and some senior police officials were seen consoling the protesters, most of whom were in tears, demanding a meeting with their dear ones. However, Mohammad Ahsan Antoo, leader of the Human Rights Front which organised the protest, was taken into preventive custody yesterday night. The protesters submitted details of their missing wards to the Deputy Commissioner who promised to look into their grievances, the parents told reporters. A memorandum by Antoo addressed to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan puts the number of missing persons since the eruption of militancy in the state at 2,100. As per the data collected and documented by the Human Rights Front, 2,100 such cases have been reported during the past 13 years. Among the missing, 57 are non-Kashmiris, including foreign tourists abducted by Al-Faran in 1995, the memorandum, a copy of which was made available to PTI, said and claimed that 55 persons had gone missing this year. The memorandum alleged that human rights violations had become “the order of the day” in Jammu and Kashmir. “The past 12 years have witnessed human rights violations in its ugliest face and has summed up new dimensions of terror to the victimised people”, it said. Describing POTA as “draconian law”, the memorandum said 245 cases under it were reported so far with the organisation and the detenues include six students and eight women. Antoo said in the memorandum that his organisation has filed 276 petitions before the NHRC and the state Human Rights Commission but no proper hearing was given to them. The memorandum called upon the United Nations to check human rights violations in the state. “We are resourceless and do not have any avenue to bring forward the tragedies and torment faced by the isolated people of Jammu and Kashmir. But your presence in our region could have acted as a bridge between the oppressed nation and the sleeping international community. The people of Jammu and Kashmir are confused about the very presence of UN military observers group in the region,” it said.
PTI |
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J&K trifurcation demand gets mixed
response Jammu, July 2 Several Sikh leaders, including Mr S.S. Wazir, president, state Gurdwara Prabandhak Board, Mr Jagdev Singh, president, Shiromani Akali Dal, Mr Narbir Singh, president, state Youth Akali Dal, and Mr Paramjit Singh, president, state unit of the AISSF, told newspersons here today that the “Sikhs in the state will oppose trifurcation are ready to make sacrifices if the need arises.” Mr Wazir described those demanding division of Jammu and Kashmir as pseudo nationalists who “were working with a well thought out plan of terrorising the minorities.” He blamed the RSS and other Hindu fundamentalist bodies for adopting double standards by demanding homeland for Kashmiri migrants and remaining silent on the future of displaced people from Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir who had settled in Jammu. Mr Jagdev Singh said trifurcation would amount to handing over the Kashmir valley to Pakistan on a platter. Mr Narbir Singh said India being a secular and democratic country should have no place for “fascist organisations like the RSS, VHP and Bajrang Dal.” Mr Paramjit Singh said, “Instead of demanding trifurcation we should strive for recapturing occupied Kashmir. Mr Mohinder Singh, chief organiser, Bhai Kanahiya Nishkam Seva Society, described the RSS demand as “nefarious” and urged all right thinking people to oppose it. Meanwhile, the Ladakh Buddhist Association at its meeting in Leh yesterday supported the RSS resolution. A resolution adopted at the meeting said, “Trifurcation is a requisite for the permanent settlement of the Kashmir dispute.” Presiding over the meeting the president of the association, Mr Tsering Samphel, said, “Jammu and Ladakh could not be a part of Kashmir because of linguistic, ethnic, topographical and other similarities. A senior Congress leader, Mr Raman Bhala, opposed the RSS demand and said it would lead to further communal polarisation in the state which has a tradition of communal amity. He called upon all democratic and secular organisations to oppose the demand for trifurcation. Meanwhile, the Jammu and Kashmir Nationalist Front, state unit of the Bajrang Dal and Jammu Mukti Morcha have supported the RSS resolution, saying that it was the only way to end the 50-year long domination of the valley-based political leaders and bureaucrats on Jammu and Ladakh regions. |
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Army unfolds plan for Kashmiris’
welfare Srinagar, July 2 It comes close on the heels of unfolding its four-point welfare plan to “enable Kashmiris to revive their culture”. The plan was unfolded at the inauguration of Kashmir Vision-2020 at the SKICC here on June 20 in connection with a three-day exhibition-cum-business summit to explore opportunities available in Jammu and Kashmir. The copies of which were circulated to the press here today reads: “Instead of burning, the leaves should be buried in compost pits and converted into rich manure which is beneficial to the soil”. The smoke emanating from a burning chinar leaf, thereby increases the danger of air pollution. Warning against the dangers of air pollution, the message adds that “Each time leaves are burnt in open, the air gets laden with tiny particulates which raises the air pollution to alarming levels, causing severe respiratory disorders and eye infections”. Apart from fighting militancy the army also aims at “making the living conditions of the people better. People have suffered both physically and psychologically at the hands of militants. we have to think of both factors, said Lieut Gen V.G. Patankar, GoC of the Srinagar based 15 Corps of the Army. The GoC in his recent interaction with media said the operations henceforth would be “for the people, with the people and never against the people”. He said victims of militancy would be given priority in terms of education, health care and self-help through cooperatives”. General Patankar said as a part of its sadhbhavna project it had proposed to sponsor at least 1,000 children at school and college level, 500 children within the state, opening of boys hostel, cooperative schools, change in curriculum of madrassas and reorientation programme for teachers. |
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APHC to elect new chief
soon Jammu, July 2 The election for the chairmanship of the APHC has been necessitated as Prof Abdul Gani Bhat is scheduled to retire within a week. Under the APHC constitution no chief of the organisation could be
reflected for another term. However, Professor Bhat will continue to serve till the conglomerate elects a new chief. Professor Bhat, who is in Delhi, met a cross section of political leaders, intellectuals and diplomats to convey his thanks for the support he received during his tenure as the APHC chief. He told the TNS that since the JKLF, Jamait-e-Islami and the Peoples’ League had their representatives in the Executive Committee after Malik, Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Sheikh Aziz, were put behind bars, they could form the electoral college for the chairman’s election. Seven members of the committee have the powers to elect a new chairman. Asked about his achievements and failures, Professor Bhat said “my biggest achievement has been that I managed to keep the flock together”. Senior APHC leaders have on numerous occasions worked against one another and it was the teacher in Professor Bhat that he succeeded in keeping them under the Hurriyat umbrella. In a reply to another question the Hurriyat chief denied that some US diplomats, who had recently visited Kashmir, had pressed upon him and other colleagues to take part in elections as the USA did not recognise those political groups which shy away from election. Professor Bhat said the US diplomats wanted to know whether the next Assembly election would resolve the Kashmir issue. He disclosed that he had made it clear to the diplomats that elections had no direct or indirect bearing on the Kashmir issue. He made it clear that whether the elections would be held under the Governor’s rule or under the Farooq regime “we have nothing to do with it, since we have decided to keep away from the poll process because election was no substitute for the right of self-determination.” Professor Bhat said the Government of India had not given any response to his five-point formula for reducing tension and for resolving the Kashmir issue. He explained that the committee had demanded withdrawal of troops from the border, ceasefire on all sides, end to human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir, permission to the Hurriyat team to visit Pakistan for discussion with the government and leaders of militant outfits and release of all detained persons. The Hurriyat chief said this proposal was dished out to facilitate resumption of tripartite talks. He said it was for the Government of India to reject or accept “our proposal”. He added let the Government of India examine these proposals minutely. When asked about his faliures as the Hurriyat chief, Professor Bhat said “it is a matter of regret for me that I have not been able to ensure violence-free Kashmir and Islamabad and Delhi coming closer.” |
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NC worker, 2 mercenaries shot dead Srinagar, July 2 Two foreign militants were killed in a joint operation by the Special Operations Group of the local police and security forces in Kanthawali forests in Kupwara district. A large quantity of arms and ammunition, including an AK rifle, 10 grenades, 10 kgs of explosives, 47 metres of RDX wire, 10 detonators and two IEDs, were seized from them, he said. An NC activist and contractor, Ghulam Mohiuddin Wani, was shot dead by militants at his Qazipora-Watpora residence in Baramulla district today, the spokesman said. The throat-slit body of a surrendered militant was recovered from a nallah at Tengghat in Bandipora today. He was kidnapped by militants last night and allegedly killed for his links with the Army. Militants killed a tailor in his house at Khurpora- Awantipora in Pulwama. Hizbul Mujahideen militant Tariq Ahmad Lone was arrested by security forces after an encounter in Erim colony of Aishmuqam in Anantnag. A civilian was injured in the gunfight. An AK assault rifle, four magazines, two grenades and a wireless set were seized from Lone. The BSF arrested another Hizbul militant Aijaz Ahmad Wani, alias Azza, a close associate of the outfit’s company commander Arshad, from Anchar in Soura on the outskirts of Srinagar last night. A rocket launcher with a rocket and a 60-mm mortar bomb were seized from him. A suspected Jaish-e-Mohammad militant Nazir Ahmad Magray was apprehended by the SOG from Saidpora-Kandi in Kupwara yesterday.
PTI |
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Arrangements for J&K
session finalised Srinagar, July 2 The meeting, chaired by the Speaker, Mr Abdul Ahad Vakil, discussed in detail the arrangements with regard to security, transport, drinking water and medicare facilities, sanitation and power supply etc. The departments concerned were asked to ensure strict implementation of the decisions taken at the meeting for the smooth conduct of the forthcoming Assembly session, an official spokesman said. Speaking at the meeting, Mr Vakil urged the law enforcement authorities to ensure adequate security arrangements and safe movement of legislators during the session. He urged the Manager, Government Press, Srinagar, to print the questions in time to enable the authorities concerned to file their replies at a proper time. |
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