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Monday,
October
6, 2003,
Chandigarh, India  
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Six
militants killed in valley
Pandits
threaten to migrate if demands not met Resume
talks, Mufti to Centre, Pak |
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Teachers'
tales of militancy J&K
opens education sector to private parties Dasehra
celebrated amid tight security Governor
visits Vaishno Devi shrine
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Six militants killed in valley
Srinagar, October 5 A Border Security Force (BSF) spokesman said troops of 151 battalion, along with the Army, conducted search operation at Wokai village in South Kashmir district of Anantnag late last night. However, when the troops were about to storm a particular house, they came under heavy fire from militants hiding there. Troops also retaliated and in the ensuing encounter, one militant Bilal Ahmad Bhat was killed. One AK 56 rifle, two magazines, four grenades and 60 rounds were seized from the slain militant. Official sources said the security forces, during a raid on a militant hideout at Nassarullahpora in the Central Kashmir district of Badgam, came under heavy fire last evening. Sources said reinforcements were immediately rushed to the area from nearby camps who sealed the entire village. The security forces also retaliated and in the fierce clash three militants and a civilian were killed and two civilian were injured. A house was also damaged in the shootout, sources said adding three AK rifles and other arms and ammunition were seized from the slain militants. JAMMU: Security forces gunned down two Pakistani militants belonging to Harkat-e-Islami (HeI) outfit, including its deputy district commander, in an encounter in the Thanamandi area of Rajouri district in Jammu and Kashmir, official sources said here today. The two militants identified as Shaheen-ul-Sleem, alias Ali Shan of Kotli in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir and Juned of Pakistan, were killed by the security forces during 'seek-and-destroy' operation yesterday at Parat Planger in the area. Juned, who was district deputy commander of HeI outfit in the area, was involved in many killings, they said. Recoveries from the slain militants included two AK rifles with its eight magazines, 10 kg of explosives, two radio sets, one mobile phone, one video game and three diaries, the sources said.
— Agencies |
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Pandits threaten to migrate if demands not met
Srinagar, October 5 It is because of the local Muslims, about 9,000 men, women and children of the Pandit community are still living in the valley, Mr S.K. Ticku, spokesman of the Hindu Welfare Society, an organisation formed by the Pandits told reporters. He said the previous National Conference and the present coalition government had failed to address their issues. We may take the extreme but unfortunate decision to leave the valley if the step-motherly treatment from the government towards the community continued, he threatened and added that after the Nadimarg incident in which 24 Pandits, including a two-year-old child and an 80-year-old man, were killed, the Pandits living in the valley have certain apprehensions. However, if any Pandit did not migrate after the incident, it was because of the moral support by the local Muslim brethren, he said. The migrants living in other parts of the country consider us pro-Muslims while the government here did not take any step to address our problems, he said. Sharing his experience to stay back in the valley after almost the entire Kashmiri Pandit community migrated following eruption of militancy in 1989, Mr Ticku said all those who did not migrate suffered equally here. We all — Muslims, Sikhs and Pandits — face bullets, blasts and crackdowns collectively, he said and added that we also share our joy and sorrows together. He said the state and Central governments always announce concessions and packages for Pandits who had migrated but never thought about those who stayed back here and kept the ‘Kashmiriyat’ alive against all odds. About the return of migrants, Mr Ticku said 90 per cent of those wanted to return and now it was the responsibility of the government, politicians and separatist organisations to make the atmosphere conducive for their safe and honourable return. In reply to a question he said we did not want anything which was not possible except employment for our 450-odd unemployed youths. About the property of temples in the valley, Mr Ticku said the government should immediately set up a Trust to look after them as there were reports that some property had been sold by trustees. This was very disturbing and the government should take immediate action and set up a Trust with 60 per cent members from the Pandit community living in the valley, he said. Nearly 5000 Pandits, mostly those who are living in Kashmir, attended the havan for peace, which was held by the Pandits for the first time. Keeping with the age-old tradition, Muslims also thronged the temple and helped their Hindu brethren to organise the havan at the Ram Mandir Barbar Shah temple. It was for the first time that Pandits have organised a havan in Kashmir. The pandits had decided to organise such havan on the occasion of Ramnamvi but it was postponed because of the massacre of 24 Pandits at Nadimarg in Pulwama district of South Kashmir in March.
— UNI, PTI |
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Resume talks, Mufti to Centre, Pak Pahalgam, October 5 Mr Sayeed said the peace initiative that Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee took from Kashmir was bound to fructify into lasting peace. Whatever happened last week, both nations know well that there is no way out except for pursuing dialogue as people of both countries wanted friendly ties. He said the common minimum programme of the five-party coalition government in the state also specifically mentions that dialogue is the only alternative to address internal and external dimensions of the Kashmir imbroglio and we are pursuing it. His government would continue to follow this approach and was confident that a solution would be found out for a lasting peace, he added Mr Sayeed expressed optimism that Jammu and Kashmir would once again become an abode of peace and tranquility, not because he or his government was endeavouring for it but because it is the resolve of the people of the state. Saying that the visit of every tourist to the state was a step towards normalcy and peace, Mr Sayeed asserted that peace has to dawn on Kashmir as it is yearning of its people. Inaugurating the 15-day Pahalgam festival at the picturesque resort here last evening, the Chief Minister said that the government is making serious effort to promote tourism. He said tourism infrastructure is being expanded to cater to the requirements of the tourists.
— UNI |
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Teachers' tales of militancy BASGRAH (Line of Control): Once gun-totting militants are working as teachers in some government schools in villages near the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir. Hashim Ali Khan and Inayat Hussain are two such government teachers. Active militants till the last decade, they have seen life on both sides of the border. After spending years with the militants, they teamed up with security forces to hunt their former comrades in the valley and in Pakistan-sponsored camps. Inayat Husain says that students often ask him the cause of Kashmir problem and why they were not allowed to go close to the ridge (LoC). The children listen with great interest the stories he tells them about the life in PoK camps. “Life is bad in Pakistan. Persons from here are treated badly and even tortured at the slightest suspicion”, he says. “The black clouds will go away,” is what the teacher tells the scared children. Hashim Ali Khan, agrees with Inayat Hussain that a bilateral dialogue is the only way out of the vexed Kashmir problem. “We have seen everything from close quarters. It is neither Jihad nor fight for freedom. It is just a personal vendetta of Pakistan,” say the two in chorus. Then there is Sarfraz, who after spending years in camps in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir ( POK), is working hard in his orchards and fields in Sultan Dhakki. Similarly, Shaukat (name changed on request) is running a shop in one of the villages after having a bitter taste of life in PoK. Even a sarpanch of a prominent village near the LoC was a former militant. These persons, listed as surrendered militants in police records, are reluctant to give details of their past for fear of backlash. |
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J&K opens education sector to private parties Srinagar, October 5 The private sector in collaboration with premier
institutions could set up schools and colleges in areas outside the city for which the government would act as facilitator and would provide every kind of assistance, state education Minister Abdul Rehman Veeri said at a function here. Mr Veeri said with limited resources and a lot of backlog, a lot remained to be done in this sector and this was where the assistance of private promoters was required and welcomed. The function sponsored by the government and attended by educationists, academicians, NGOs, and representatives of educational institutions was held at Amar Singh College. Mr Veeri said the step was taken as part of government’s efforts to make quality education accessible even to the non-affluent section of the society. Stressing that the coalition government had accorded top priority to education, he said spreading of quality education was infact a mission which had the capability of revolutionising the society and putting it forward on the path of progress. |
Dasehra
celebrated amid tight security JAMMU:
A two-tier security was on Sunday thrown around the city with intensified checking at all entry points in the wake of intelligence reports about militants plan to strike on the occasion of Dasehra even as thousands of devotees thronged temples here. Official sources said security had been tightened around all venues of Dasehra celebrations and checking intensified at all entry points to the city. Meanwhile, devotees in large numbers thronged the Raghunath temple, the Hanuman temple and other Ram temples in the city. |
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Governor
visits Vaishno Devi shrine Katra (Jammu), October 5 He offered prayers and “puran ahuti” in the “Chatt
chandi” pooja organised during the festival period of holy
Navratras. Pandits from various parts of Jammu region participated in the ceremony which signifies triumph of good over evil. The pooja was also arranged at “adh
kunwari” along the track of the shrine. The shrine board had made necessary arrangements for visiting pilgrims. Arrangements of food were also made for those devotees who had observed fast.
— UNI |
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