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Thursday,
August 15, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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Captain, JCO killed in militant attack Saxena predicts peace in J&K Parties busy selecting candidates
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Security forces on high
alert Schoolchildren to get food packets 
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Captain, JCO killed in militant attack Srinagar, August 14 Two Army officers were killed and 17 jawans injured when suspected militants detonated an IED and followed it by firing on a bus carrying them in between Kach-Dooru and Dangam villages in the Sophian area of Pulwama district last evening. The driver of the bus bearing No. 786JK03, Ajaz Ahmad Khan of Batamaloo and the conductor, Manzoor Ahmad of Lal Chowk here, were also injured in the incident. Injured have been admitted in the Army hospital here. The private bus that has been damaged totally in the incident carrying Army men was on its way from Gadapora to Sophian when the incident took place at 6.15 p.m. yesterday. Two persons were injured when they were shot at by unidentified militants in Pulwama district last night. Contractor Ghulam Mohammad Mir was injured when fired upon by suspected militants outside his house at Litter in Pulwama district last evening. Meanwhile, Director-General of Jammu and Kashmir Police, A.K. Suri inspected a big cache of explosives and chemicals to be used for manufacturing bombs, at the district Police Lines Budgam last evening. The recovery included 42 kg of RDX, 102 bottles of nitric acid, 89 cans of sulphuric acid, 40 litres of carbon tetrachloride and 600 litres of hydrogen peroxide. The police has apprehended the culprits. A Captain was among two Army personnel killed and eight soldiers injured when militants attacked a search party in the Sophian area of Pulwama district in south Kashmir late last night, official sources said here today. Militants fired a rocket and rained bullets on the troops returning from cordon and search operations at Gadapur village en route their camp at Gasdoora, the sources said. One vehicle was blown up in the rocket blast, sources said adding that eight soldiers were injured in the attack of whom a Captain and a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) succumbed to their injuries early this morning. Two revenue officials and a contractor were injured when militants fired at them in a village in Pulwama district of south Kashmir last night, official sources said today. |
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Saxena predicts peace in J&K Srinagar, August 14 “All political parties and people now have to play their role by standing up to meet the challenges we face today. They must also remain united despite efforts of religious extremists and terrorists to vitiate the atmosphere and erode secular spirit and liberal values of the people”, Mr Saxena said in his message on the eve of Independence Day. The Governor hoped that displaced persons and families of victims of violence would be rehabilitated soon and peace, would return to the state in the near future. Referring to Assembly elections, the Governor said that mediapersons and other people, both Indian and Foreign would be free to come in large numbers to watch the election process and polling. Extending his greetings to the people of Jammu and Kashmir on the eve of the Independence Day, Mr Saxena also paid homage to the leaders who laid the foundation of the country on the values of democracy, secularism and social justice. The Governor also paid tributes to the officers and men who sacrificed their lives for the security of the state and the people. |
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Parties busy selecting candidates Jammu, August 14 Dr Abdullah, his son and Sheikh Nazir spent several hours at the Gupkar residence of the Chief Minister in Srinagar yesterday to give final shape to the list of party candidates. The Chief Minister and his son refused to meet a large number of party workers trying to mount pressure on them to field candidates of their choice. The list of candidates for Kupwara, Baramula, Leh, Kargil, Poonch and Rajouri districts has been finalised. It will be out within a day or two. The National Conference has decided to contest all 87 seats in case there is no seat adjustment with the CPM, the CPI and the BSP. The BSP is a divided house, with its state unit president, Sheikh Abdul Rehman keen on seat adjustment with the National Conference and a majority of its leaders and workers favouring an alliance with the BJP. The matter will be decided by party Chief Kanshi Ram, who may opt for contesting the elections without any alliance. The only problem the National Conference is facing is the reluctance of sitting MLAs, including senior ministers, to make room for new faces. At one stage, party President Omar Abdullah had favoured fielding new faces from more than 30 seats, but senior ministers had prevailed upon Dr Farooq Abdullah to retain them. Party sources said wherever the NC leadership felt that fielding new faces was in the interest of the party, wards of some ministers might get the party ticket. In this connection, Mr Ghulam Mohiuddin Shah, Minister for Housing and seniormost member of the Cabinet, is said to have conveyed his son’s keenness to contest the election from any seat in Srinagar city to the party leadership. According to party sources, the NC may field at least 15 new faces, most of them from south Kashmir and the Kupwara-Baramula belt. The Congress has decided to contest all seats in case there is no seat adjustment. Several Congress leaders have suggested to the AICC that an alliance with the People’s Democratic Party may help the party in the Kashmir valley. Party leaders admit that the Congress is still strong in Jammu region, except for loss of its base in Poonch and Rajouri. Hence, it plans to concentrate on 37 seats in Jammu region. According to Mr Mangat Ram Sharma, senior vice-president of the party, “The Congress will contest all 87 seats as we do not want to create an impression among the electorate that we are weak.” The Congress will field all sitting MLAs and all those who lost in the 1996 elections. All former MPs and ministers will also be fielded. From each constituency, a panel of more than three names has been sent to the AICC. Congress President Sonia Gandhi is taking personal interest in the selection of candidates. |
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Security forces on high
alert Srinagar, August 14 The Hurriyat Conference has called for a two-day bandh beginning tomorrow and asked people to observe August 15 as “black day”. It has also called for a strike on Friday to protest against coercive measures by security forces and the police forcing people to get poll identity cards prepared. An official spokesman said here that the SSP Traffic has imposed restrictions on the movement of vehicles tomorrow in connection with the Independence Day celebrations. The routes include around Bakshi Stadium 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. from Exhibition Crossing-Indira Gandhi road upto Rambagh Bridge, Naaz crossing. Tagore Hall crossing-Gogji Bagh Crossing in place of above routes. Batamaloo General Bus Stand, Tengpora, NHW Bypass may be adopted to reach Rambagh, Hyderpora, airport etc. Restrictions have also been imposed on the Boulevard road (2 p.m. to 8 p.m.) from Badyari crossing up to Brain crossing. Alternative routes via Nishat, Foreshore, Telbal, Hazratbal etc and from Badyari Kohnakhan road, are advised to be adopted by vehicles’ drivers. Many persons were held during house-to-house search operation in the past couple of weeks here in view of August 15 celebrations. The main function is being held at Bakshi Stadium, where Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah is scheduled to take the salute tomorrow. The police and paramilitary forces have already taken positions in and around the Bakshi Stadium. Massive search operations were conducted in its vicinity. Roads along the north and southern gates of the Bakshi Stadium have been closed to traffic. House-to-house searches were made in Haft Chinar, Aloochi Bagh, Gogji Bagh, Jawahar Nagar, Hari Singh High Street and Lal Chowk areas. Paramilitary personnel have taken positions atop high-rise buildings to keep vigil on militants. The paramilitary personnel and the police have been checking passing vehicles and frisking passers-by including women along the main roads in Lal Chowk area and in the vicinity of the Bakshi Stadium. The stepped up security which affected the normal plying of vehicles and pedestrians, has, however, not totally affected routine business in the capital city, as usual in the previous years. Unlike the previous years, all educational institutions remained open which used to be closed a day before due to stepped-up security operations in view of Independence or Republic Day celebrations. Sharpshooters were seen deployed on high-rise buildings in the summer capital Srinagar, particularly in the area around Bakshi stadium where Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah will unfurl the national flag tomorrow. The stadium has been declared out-of-bounds for all, including mediapersons. However, security forces and police personnel were seen searching the adjacent Iqbal park which has been closed to public for the past two days. Sniffer dogs were also pressed into service to search the outer area of the stadium. The Lal Chowk has also been sealed as Inspector General of the Border Security Force (BSF) P.S. Gill will hoist the national flag tomorrow. Official sources said 100 preventive arrests had been made throughout the valley during the past few days. “We are taking into custody criminals and other anti-national elements during Independence Day and Republic Day celebrations to avoid any disturbances, they said. Reports from across the valley received here said that all former militants have been directed to report to the nearest police station everyday till the celebrations are over. Sources, quoting intelligence inputs, said that about 20 foreign and about 200 locals militants were operating in the summer capital and its outskirts. A UNI correspondent saw security forces wearing bullet-proof jackets and holding automatic weapons patrolling the area around the Bakshi stadium and its adjoining localities to foil any militant attack. Residents of Sarai Bala, Goni Khan, Batmaloo, Danderkha, Lachmanpora, Magarmar Bagh, Haft Chinar, Wazir Bagh, Iqbal Park Road, Mehjoor Nagar, Solina and Jawahar Nagar said their houses were being searched by the security forces almost daily for the past two weeks. The residents said they had been directed to inform security forces in case a guest came to their house for night stay. ‘’We do not want to harass the people, but what can we do. We have to make sure that militants do not strike on Independence Day,’’ a security official searching a house at Sarai Bala said. |
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Schoolchildren to get food packets Jammu, August 14 The Education Minister, Mr Mohammad Shaffi, told TNS here today that the scheme was on the lines of the earlier programme of midday meal, but modifications had been made to make it more effective. He said payment of cash instead of food packets could also be considered. Mr Shaffi, who earlier had the Finance portfolio, has focused his attention on improving the education system after being given charge of the Education Department. He said more than 650 educational institutions burnt down by militants in the state had been rebuilt. All efforts were being made to impart formal and informal education to children in the age group of six to 14 and the dropouts were also being persuaded to restart their studies. Mr Shaffi, said a Rs 18-crore project had been launched for introducing computer education in all higher secondary schools in a phased manner. He said a Rs 65-crore project had been launched for modernising technical education and introducing short term courses in the polytechnic colleges. A college for engineering and technology was being constructed at Jammu by the government at a cost of Rs 60 crore. Mr Shafi said it had been decided to set up new degree colleges at several places, including one between Billawar and Basohli in Kathua district, Surankot, Reasi, Kulgam, Uri, Akhnoor, Budgam, Badgam and Bandipora where steps had been taken to acquire the land. As many as 2,500 primary schools would be opened in the next three years with a Rs 250-crore project funded by Nabard. The minister said facilities had been provided in the schools for teaching regional languages, including Dogri, Kashmiri, Gojri and Pahari. |
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