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Wednesday,
December 11, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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Central team
returns to Delhi 2 JeM militants
killed BJP leaders against more organisations
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National consensus on J&K soon: CM Separatist
leaders detained
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Central team
returns to Delhi Jammu, December 10 The team members had a detailed discussion with the Chief Secretary here today where the two sides discussed issues related to the release of security-related expenses, modernisation of the police, including the communication system and weapons, and adjustment of SPOs in the regular police. The team had come to Jammu basically to sort out the controversy over the release of detained separatists and militants. The two sides agreed that a joint screening committee should be set up with top brass of the intelligence agencies, the police and the Prisons Department as its members. The central team emphasised the need for sanctioning the release of detained persons only on the recommendations of the screening committee. The Chief Minister had told the team that his government was committed to giving a healing touch to the people and the release of detained persons, against whom there were no serious charges, was part of the process. The state authorities urged the team to expedite the release of security-related expenses as the state’s financial position was grim and it could not afford to pay from its coffers. Emphasis was also laid on completing the unfinished programme of modernising the police force by equipping its men with sophisticated weapons and communication system. The Union Home Ministry was also requested to
sanction the raising of two additional battalions of the police so that youth in the state could get gainful employment without which some of them could be wooed by militant groups. The team members were also informed that since the formation of the coalition government, militancy related incidents had shown a marked decline and this was the outcome of the liberal policy adopted by the Chief Minister. |
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2 JeM militants killed Srinagar, December 10 An official spokesman said a militant was killed by security forces during a search operation at Panzalla Ratiabad village in Baramulla district of north Kashmir today. One AK rifle and other arms and ammunition were recovered from the slain militant. He said security forces gunned down two Pakistani JeM militants Mohammad-Shoib and Masoon Ahmad, during a fierce encounter at Tarna in Doda district of Jammu region last night. Three more militants were killed by the security forces during an encounter at Dhoke Bari last night. Two AK rifles, nine magazines, one pistol and one wireless set were seized from the slain militant, who belonged to the Hizbul Mujahideen. He said body of Hussain Ali was found at Dhadan in Udhampur district today while another body of Jehangir Ahmad Kataria alias Zahid, an HM militant, was found at Bimer Nursur in Anantnag district today. Sources said the security forces averted a major tragedy today when they detected and defused a powerful improvised explosive device at Handwara, which could have caused a major damage to life and property. HM militant Firdous Ahmad Bhat alias Shahbaz was also arrested at Ganderbal during a vehicle checking today.
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BJP leaders against more organisations Jammu, December 10 Among those who have given this suggestion to the BJP leadership in Delhi includes Prof Chaman Lal Gupta, Union Minister of State for Defence. Party sources said that the need for sending this message from Jammu to Delhi arose after the RSS-backed State Morcha continued to launch a whispering campaign against the leaders of the state unit of the BJP excluding those who play a second fiddle to the RSS in the winter capital. The RSS treats Mr
D.K. Kotwal, president of the state unit of the BJP, as its “man” in the BJP and hence efforts for holding the election for the post of the BJP President, which has been due for the past over two years, have been foiled and Mr Kotwal has been asked to continue. The BJP draws its strength from the RSS. When the RSS has been engaged in propping up the State Morcha senior party leaders have been plagued by confusion. The result: the much awaited revamping of the BJP right from the tehsil to the state level, after its rout in the recent Assembly poll where it won one seat against eight in 1996, has not materialised. It is in this connection that a section of the BJP leaders have urged the party high command that either the BJP should be allowed to function without being needled by the RSS-led State Morcha or the 37-year-old BJP unit in Jammu be asked to close its shop and allow the State Morcha to be a constituent of the Sangh Parivar. A senior BJP leader said that such an experiment had been successfully conducted 37 years ago. The Praja Parishad was formed in 1949 in Jammu to raise a banner of revolt against the special status Jammu and Kashmir enjoyed in the Indian union. It became a movement in the Jammu region with the open support of the RSS. Though it was treated as a constituent of the Sangh Parivar it ultimately merged with the erstwhile Jana Sangh in 1965. During this year both the Jana Sangh and the Congress gave a slogan for emotional integration of the state with India and accordingly the National Conference, which had functioned as a sister organisation of the Congress, merged with the Congress. The leader said that by jumping into the poll arena the RSS-led State Morcha had been responsible for the reverses the BJP faced. The State Morcha too had won only one seat and that too because of the personal influence Mr Ashwani Kumar in the Bishna Constituency. He said events after the poll results have also indicated that the RSS-led State Morcha leaders have strengthened their campaign against the BJP. The result is that senior BJP leaders have almost stopped playing an active role in the state’s political field. They have lost interest and the membership drive, which is targeted to be completed by March next, has hardly made any progress. Party sources said that moderate elements in the BJP were watching the situation minutely and once they realise that the BJP was going to be on the rocks some of them may join the Congress and other the PDP. The National Conference has kept its doors open for those political activists who wish to join the organisation and Dr Farooq Abdullah, who has started visiting various areas in the state for preparing a blueprint for the reorganisation of the party, would welcome activists from the BJP so that the NC could strengthen its base in the Jammu region. After the poll results were declared by mid-October last the state unit of the BJP has hardly organised any major public rallies in the Jammu region. Its mass contact programme has proved a non-starter because of the infighting not only within but with the RSS-headed State Morcha. Against this the NC leaders, especially Dr Farooq Abdullah, has not gone into
hibernation and has been busy in meeting a cross section of people in order to keep his premier political organisation up and kicking. |
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National consensus on J&K soon: CM Chadoora (Budgam), December 10 Addressing a congregation here today, coinciding with the World Human Rights Day, the Chief Minister said he had conveyed to all agencies concerned that no one was killed by the security forces while fighting militants. He also pointed out that there was a major change in the behaviour of the Special Operations Group of the Jammu and Kashmir police since his government took over. The congregation was held to give appointment orders to 49 relatives of victims of militancy between 1992 and 2001. The Chief Minister also gave directions with regard to relaxation in age and educational qualifications to 185 other persons for appointment on compassionate grounds. Rupees 20,000 each were distributed among 51 families under the Indira Awas Yojana for the construction of houses. The Chief Minister reiterated that his government would go by the common minimum programme adopted by the coalition parties, adding that a healing touch was needed to tackle the basic problems faced by the people. Earlier, appointment orders on compassionate grounds to the kin of militancy victims were given to 234 persons in Baramula district last month. Mufti Sayeed said there was no proper response to various steps taken by the Central Government during the recent years for restoring peace in the state. In this connection he referred to the unilateral ceasefire announced by the Hizbul Mujahideen two years ago followed by the announcement by the Prime Minister for stopping combat operations against militants in the holy month of Ramzan and the appointment of Mr K.C. Pant for holding talks with various Kashmiri groups. He stressed the need for a criteria on giving employment to the educated youth, particularly in the Education Department, where his government had formulated a plan to open 5,000 schools. The Chief Minister also announced that a plan would be formulated to hold elections to panchayats, town areas and municipalities. He said his government’s top priority was to provide uninterrupted power supply even after the holy month of Ramzan. |
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Separatist
leaders detained Srinagar, December 10 Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) vice- chairman Javid Ahmad Mir was taken in preventive custody from his in-laws' residence at the Zaina Kadal area of downtown Srinagar last night, police sources said. Another separatist leader, who had announced his plans to hold a demonstration at Lal Chowk here, was picked up by police at Hazratbal this morning, preventing him from reaching the scene. Senior Hurriyat Conference leader Moulvi Abbas Ansari was put under house arrest this morning, the sources said.
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