J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Kashmiri youths hold protest in Muzaffarabad
Jammu , January 12
Several hundred Kashmiri youths,camping in occupied Kashmir,staged a demonstration in Muzaffarabad recently in support of their demand for repatriation to the valley. These youths,whose number is said to be around 400, and belonging to various areas of the Kashmir valley, had gone across the LoC, years ago for receiving arms training.

ABVP felicitates members of Student Nationalist Assn
Jammu, January 12
To counter the dissidents who have revived the Praja Parishad in Jammu and Kashmir, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarathi Parishad, which is the youth wing of the BJP, today organised a function here today to felicitate those members of the Student Nationalist Association who led the famous Praja Parishad movement in the fifties.

Two militants among four killed
Srinagar, January 12
Two militants were among four persons killed in separate incidents in the Kashmir valley since yesterday. The police here said three persons, including two militants and a woman, were killed in an exchange of fire at Pratap Pora, Shopian in Pulwama district yesterday.

Kashmiri youths hold protest in Muzaffarabad
M.L.Kak

Jammu , January 12
Several hundred Kashmiri youths,camping in occupied Kashmir,staged a demonstration in Muzaffarabad recently in support of their demand for repatriation to the valley.

These youths,whose number is said to be around 400, and belonging to various areas of the Kashmir valley, had gone across the LoC, years ago for receiving arms training.

Most of them have learnt the technique of handling guns and assault rifles.

For various reasons they could not be pushed into the valley for giving teeth to the ongoing militancy- related violence.During the past several years they were being paid Rs750 per month, a paltry amount to enable them to sustain themselves.

When their persistent demand for better maintainance allowance and for helping them to return to their ancestral villages in Kashmir was ignored, they staged a demonstration, the first of its type in occupied Kashmir.

These boys have formed an organisation called Hakiki Force and have revived their demand for being sent back to Kashmir.Led by Suhail Ahmed Dar, the demonstrators raised anti-Government slogans.

However,the police kept a watch on the demonstrators but did not use force.

Reports reaching here from across the border said that the agitators had dissociated themselves from the rebel groups.

Several of them had expressed their dismay at the gun culture that had swept the Kashmir valley during the past 15 years.

“we want to go back to Kashmir.Even if we have to fight against the establishment in the valley, we will do it with kangris(an earthen pot in which live charcoal is kept for keeping the body warm in winter) and not the guns” has been the common refrain of the agitators.

When members of the Indian Press delegation visited several areas in Pakistan and occupied Kashmir early last month, a number of Kashmiris who had crossed over to Pakistan,some for eking out a better living means and others for seeking arms training,had requested them to intervene so that Delhi and Islamabad agreed on “our repatriation.”

Mr Manu Srivastva , President of the Jammu Press Club,who was also a member of the visiting team,said that the overall economic condition of the kashmiri migrants was pitiable.He said several of them had set up small tea shops and many others were working as labourers. all of them were pining for a chance to be back to their homes in the valley. A number of them had tried to return to Kashmir by attempting to cross the border, but had been stopped by the Pakistani troops.

Many among them did not dare to cross into kashmir illegally .they are waiting for Delhi and Islamabad to take a decision on their return to Kashmir.

ABVP felicitates members of Student Nationalist Assn
Tribune News Service

Jammu, January 12
To counter the dissidents who have revived the Praja Parishad in Jammu and Kashmir, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarathi Parishad (ABVP), which is the youth wing of the BJP, today organised a function here today to felicitate those members of the Student Nationalist Association (SNA) who led the famous Praja Parishad movement in the fifties.

The move of the ABVP is being viewed as an effort to restrain the influence of the dissident leaders of the BJP, who have resigned from the party, over the elder section in the party that was still cherishing the Praja Parishad era. The Praja Parishad later became Jana Sangh which was re-named as BJP after the fall of the Janata Party regime.

Significance is being attached to both factions trying to woo the electorate on the eve of the crucial elections for the local bodies and municipal corporations which are being held after about 17 years in the state.

A section of the BJP leadership had last year organised a function to felicitate those who participated in the Praja Parishad Movement against the Kashmir-dominated regime about 50 years ago. However, the BJP high command did not relish it and the move was described as an anti-party activity on the basis of which seven party leaders were issued notices.

The function this morning was organised by Mr Romesh Pappa, organisting secretary (North Zone) of the ABVP, with the blessings of the RSS, Mr Mohan Rao Bhagwat, general secretary of the RSS, was the chief guest. It is pertinent to mention here that during the last Assembly elections the RSS supported the Jammu State Morcha (JSM) that resulted in a severe set back to the BJP which managed to win only one seat in the 86 member house.

Senior RSS leader, Dr O.P. Mengi, Mr Sunil Ambedkar, national organising secretary of the ABVP and Mr Chaman Lal Gupta, a former Central Minister, were among those who participated in the function.

Two militants among four killed
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, January 12
Two militants were among four persons killed in separate incidents in the Kashmir valley since yesterday.

The police here said three persons, including two militants and a woman, were killed in an exchange of fire at Pratap Pora, Shopian in Pulwama district yesterday. Two militants who were killed in the exchange of fire with the security forces have been identified as a Pakistan national, Abu Hamas, and a local militant, Mohammad Imran. A woman, Ms Ateeqa, who sustained injuries in the exchange of fire succumbed to her injuries in a hospital.

Militants shot dead a former counter insurgent, Ali Mohammad Punoo, alias Ali Punjabi, when they intruded into the house of Ghulam Mohiuddin Rather at Sumbal in Baramula district last night.