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Preparations to reduce troops in J&K
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Hurriyat welcomes Natwar's
statement
Slogans against CM during Id
prayers
VHP protest against Shankaracharya's
arrest
Militants kill 3 cops, flee with weapons
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Preparations to reduce troops in J&K
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Jammu, November 14 According to official sources, once the chart was complete phased reduction of troops from different sectors would begin. The sources said that the senior functionaries in the Army were contemplating to have the pre-military buildup troop strength on the border with Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir. Official sources said that though over 70 per cent troops that had been sent to Jammu and Kashmir soon after the announcement of the military buildup three years ago had been withdrawn after the ceasefire, there were still a few additional battalions in the border areas of the state. The sources said the possibility of reducing the number of troops deployed for counter-insurgency operations was remote. Whatever reduction has to be ordered it will be from the remote border sector, including Uri, Kupwara, Poonch and Rajouri. The sources explained that already the number of security personnel engaged in anti-insurgency operations had been reduced in the past two years with the BSF companies having been eased out of some pockets of the Kashmir valley. They said the need for carrying out phased reduction in the deployment of troops had risen after the sector commanders wanted that “we have to watch the security scenario after the first phase of reduction was complete.” “In case the level of violence increased after the completion of the phase one in reduction the Government may be forced to stop further reduction,” a senior police officer told this correspondent today. He said since there had been no violation of the ceasefire agreement on the LoC by the Pakistani troops during the past one year, reduction of troops on the border was possible to the extent that it did not affect the anti-infiltration drive. The officer said past experience had shown that the reduction in security forces in areas sanitised witnessed fresh concentration of militants and increase in the level of violence. In this context he referred to south Kashmir and the hilly belts of Surankot, Mendhar, Darhal in Poonch and Rajouri sectors where militants had succeeded in carving out bases for themselves. Another police officer,while welcoming the Prime Minister’s announcement, said that reduction of troops should not be ordered at the cost of security of civilians and security forces. He said: “At no stage we should allow the rebel to gain the upper hand.” |
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Hurriyat welcomes Natwar's
statement
Srinagar, November 14 "The Hurriyat Conference welcomes Mr Natwar Singh's statement that the Government of India will consider President Musharraf's recent proposal on Kashmir. India and Pakistan have made a good beginning on the right track (to resolving the Kashmir issue)", chairman of the amalgam Mirwaiz Umer Farooq told an Id congregation at Jamia Masjid here. The Mirwaiz urged the Centre to show more "flexibility" in its approach towards finding a solution to the issue. Farooq said he hoped that the Hurriyat leadership would be allowed to visit Pakistan to carry forward the peace process in the state and enhance the confidence among the people of the state about the Centre's sincerity towards resolving the Kashmir issue. He also demanded the immediate release of all political prisoners. —
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Slogans against CM during Id
prayers
Srinagar, November 14 Official sources said Mr Sayeed was among nearly 50,000 people gathered for Id prayers at the shrine, where the relic of the Prophet is kept. Some people started raising slogans against the state government and the Chief Minister after mikes went off. Security personnel took away the Chief Minister immediately fearing crowd trouble, they said. Many people were left wondering as to what was happening because they could not hear the Imam and had to stop their prayers halfway through, the sources said. Though many left the premises without completing prayers, a group of around 5,000 people reassembled later to offer fresh prayers, the sources added. The people, mostly from the Opposition National Conference stronghold, were unhappy with the arrangements at the shrine for which they held the Chief Minister responsible, the sources said. Mr Sayeed is the Chairman of the Muslim Auqaf Trust, which manages most of the shrines in Jammu and Kashmir, including Hazratbal. Meanwhile, lakhs of people turned up at mosques across the Kashmir valley today to offer prayers on Id, which was celebrated with traditional fervour and gaiety. Jamia Masjid in downtown city witnessed the largest gathering as nearly 70,000 people offered Id prayers. Medium to large gatherings of devotees were seen in mosques all across the valley. Greeting the people on the occasion, the Chief Minister said the festival this year was being celebrated in the backdrop of a very significant initiative taken by the Prime Minister to further the process of peace and reconciliation. "The reduction of troops in Jammu and Kashmir, as announced by him, is bound to have a positive impact on the situation in the state," he said. In his message, Jammu and Kashmir Governor S. K. Sinha said Id symbolised patience, self-discipline and compassion — the hallmark of Islam — and hoped that the festival would usher in a new phase of peace and stability in the state. —
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VHP protest against Shankaracharya's
arrest
Jammu, November 14 Demanding “honourable” release of the pontiff, activists of the Jammu and Kashmir unit of the VHP raised slogans, decrying the arrest and burnt effigies representing the UPA and Tamil Nadu governments as also the DMK. Police action against the Shankaracharya has hurt the sentiments of Hindus in the country as well as abroad, state VHP chief Ramakant Dubey said at the rally. Blaming the UPA Government at the Centre, the Tamil Nadu Government and the DMK party for the Shankaracharya’s arrest which, he said, was a conspiracy by the anti-Hindu elements. Besides VHP workers, activists of the Bajrang Dal, the Matri Shakti, the Durga Vahini, the Brahman Sabha, the Sanatan Dharam Sabha, the RSS, the Rajput Sabha, the Mahajan Sabha, the Khatri Sabha and the Ravi Dass Sabha also participated in the rally. —
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Militants kill 3 cops, flee with weapons
Srinagar, November 14 As soon as the three constables came out of their picket, the militants shot them dead on the spot and decamped with their service rifles, the sources said. Only four of the seven cops were on duty when the incident took place, the sources said, adding one cop managed to save his life. No militants outfit has claimed the responsibility for the killings so far. Nadimarg, a sleepy hamlet in remote Pulwama district, 75 km from here, had witnessed a massacre of 24 Kashmiri Pandits in March, 2003. Meanwhile, a police spokesman identified the deceased constables as Manzoor Ahmad, Tahseen Ahmad and Farooq Ahmad. He said a joint party of the Amry and the police cordoned off the area. While the security forces were conducting search operations, an encounter broke out with a group of militants and one ultra, belonging to Hizbul Mujahideen, was killed, he added. The deceased militant was identified as Mohammad Ashraf Bhat from whose possession on SLR, one magazine and 13 cartridges were seized, he said. —
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