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Saturday,
December 21, 2002, Chandigarh, India  
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Kashmiri Pandits to be rehabilitated Protesters lathi-charged Srinagar-Jammu road reopens |
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Kashmiri
Pandits to be rehabilitated Jammu, December 20 Addressing a function here the Chief Minister said that those who were willing to return to Kashmir would be given foolproof protection and other facilities, including a job to one member of each migrant family. Mufti Sayeed said the return of Pandits to the valley would be part of the process of normalisation which his government had initiated in the state. He said that as a “miniature” of India Kashmir “is incomplete without Pandits,” adding that the majority community in the Valley was eagerly waiting for their return. He said the “ballot and dialogue would lead to the resolution of the Kashmir issue, adding that his government would approach the Centre for initiating an unconditional dialogue with different sections and political leaders for the restoration of peace and normalcy. “Let us not rake up the pastby pondering over the mistakes having been committed in one sector or the other, “he stated. “We all should
cooperate with the government which is committed to providing good governance for solving people’s problems. The Chief Minister has entrusted the task of setting the stage for the return of more than 150 families to Kashmir to the Revenue Minister, Mr Ghulam Hassan Mir. Mr Mir is already engaged in the task and the government has earmarked Rs 10 crore for the building of new structures and the renovation of damaged houses where the Pandits could be rehabilitated in Mattan and Khirbhawani. The government is preparing a list of those willing to return to Kashmir. The Chief Minister does not seem happy with opposition to the return plan, though in piecemeal, by leaders of Panun Kashmir and the All-State Kashmiri Pandit Conference who favour the carving out of a separate homeland within the Valley for Kashmiri Hindus. These leaders want this homeland to be administered centrally. But the PDP, the Congress and the National Conference are opposed to it on the plea that vivisection of the state was against the national interest. |
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Protesters lathi-charged
Srinagar, December 20 The strike has been called by some separatist and human rights organisations in protest against the death penalty awarded by a special POTA court in New Delhi to three Kashmiris - Delhi University lecturer S.A.R. Geelani, Shaukat Ahmad Guru and Mohammad Afzal - in the December 13 Parliament attack case. The police fired dozens of tear gas shells and resorted to repeated lathi charge near the historic Jamia Masjid in the downtown immediately after Friday prayers to disperse the demonstrators. About 12 persons were reportedly injured in the stone throwing and police action. Meanwhile, at least three leaders of the People’s League were arrested at Maisuma, near here, this afternoon when they tried to lead a procession against the verdict. A report from Baramulla said thousands of people took to streets after the Friday prayers, demanding the release of all the detainees, including a woman, Afsana Guru, who has been sentenced to five years of imprisonment. Shops and business establishments in Srinagar and some other major towns of the valley remained closed. Traffic was also off the roads and attendance in government offices was badly affected due to the strike. UNI
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Srinagar-Jammu road reopens
Srinagar, December 20 He said the Border Roads Organisation pressed into work men and machines to clear the snow between Qazigund and Banihal. The stranded vehicles on both sides of the highway have been cleared. Meanwhile, Srinagar remained under the grip of a severe cold following intermittent rains since last morning, while the upper reaches experienced snowfall. People in the forward areas of Jammu and Kashmir reeled under sub-zero temperatures ranging from 20°C to 25°C following fresh light-to-moderate snowfall on higher reaches, including the Peer Panjal range of mountains and Jawahar Tunnel, which connects the Jammu region with Kashmir, and the adjoining areas of Himachal Pradesh. Parts of Chandigarh, Ambala (Haryana), Sundernagar (HP) reported traces of rains while Bhuntar and Solan recorded 4.4 mm and 0.1 mm rains in the past 24 hours. However, ground temperatures in rest of the north-west region stayed 2°C to 7°C above normal under the dry spell continuing since the third week of September. The Kargil area received around 5 cm snowfall, Kupwara, Baramula and the Peer Panjal range of mountains and Jawahar Tunnel area in Kashmir 10 cm to 30 cm. Pahalgam and entire route to the cave shrine of Amarnath too had spells of snow. Bhang Manali (7 cm), Solang nullah (6 cm), Dhundi (15 cm) and Patsio (flakes) were among the stations in Himachal Pradesh reporting snowfall. Srinagar and its adjoining areas, after yesterday’s rains, had the minimum hovering around 1.4°C, still three degrees above normal. Shimla, after 0.1 mm rain yesterday, had the minimum dipping to 5.8°C from 7.7°C of the previous night, but still two degrees above normal. Sundernagar reported the low of 5.8°C and Solan, 5°C. The night temperature in and around Hisar and Rohtak were almost seven degrees above normal at 13.3°C and 12°C, respectively. The low in and around Amritsar was up by two degrees at 6.7°C while in Ludhiana it was normal at 6.2°C. Delhi’s Safdarjung and Palam too were hotter by three degrees at 11.5°C and 12.8°C, respectively. Weathermen here said the western disturbances today lying over Jammu and Kashmir and the neighbourhood coupled with induced upper air cyclonic circulation over north-west Rajasthan and neighbourhood, extending in the lower level were likely to cause isolated light to moderate rains or snow on higher reaches of the hill states and clear weather in region of the region over the next two days. UNI
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