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Chances of APHC
unity bleak
Eight militants
killed
Protest against grenade blast in school
Governor seeks opinion
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Steps afoot to protect
Kashmir heritage
Mahant objects to govt’s remarks on yatra
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Chances of APHC
unity bleak
Jammu, May 13 A year ago, Molvi Abbas Ansari had resigned as APHC chairman, hoping that it would motivate Syed Ali Shah Geelani, who now heads the Tehrik Hurriyat Conference, to return to the APHC fold. It did not happen and Mr Geelani continued to demonstrate defiance, accusing APHC leaders of having “harmed the ongoing movement for the liberation of Kashmir.” Molvi Umar Farooq had announced recently that he was ready to quit as APHC chairman if that helped in reconciliation between the two factions of the Hurriyat Conference. Prior to this offer, he had constituted a three-member committee for negotiating with the leaders of the rival faction of the Hurriyat Conference. Two senior members of the APHC executive committee, Prof Abdul Gani Bhat and Molvi Abbas Ansari, had opposed negotiations with members of the committee. Molvi Abbas Ansari told this correspondent yesterday that “unity with Mr Geelani is not possible because he wants all members of his executive committee to be included in the reunited APHC.” He explained. “It is not possible to allow entry to Mr Ghulam Nabi Sumjhi of the Muslim Conference and Mr Ghulam Mohammad. Hubbi of the People’s Conference who had split the two organisations.” “At present, the Muslim Conference is represented in the APHC executive committee by Prof Abdul Gani Bhat and the People’s Conference by Mr Bilal Ahmed Lone.” Similarly, nobody from the Geelani camp could “join our executive committee as representative of the Itehad Musalmeen when its leader is already its member,” he said. Prof Bhat said. “We can talk to Mr Nayeem Khan, another member of the committee constituted by Mr Geelani, but not with the other two whom we regard as deserters.” Molvi Ansari referred to a recent interview to a private television channel in Pakistan in which he (Geelani) had “described us as politically immoral.” He said “If we are so, the question of joining hands with him does not arise.” He reminded Mr Geelani that when he (Geelani) quit the APHC, he had protested against a candidate belonging to the People’s Conference having participated in the Assembly election of 2002,
choosing to forget that Mr Geelani had himself contested the Assembly poll many a times and continued to draw pension as former MLA. Molvi Ansari expressed fear that Mr Geelani wanted to inducted all nine members of the executive committee of the Tehrik Hurriyat Conference in the reunited conglomerate to have a upper hand because “our group has only four executive committee members.” He indicated that efforts would be made to rope in Mr Shabir Ahmed Shah, president, Democratic Freedom Party, and Mr Mohammad Yasin Malik, chief of the JKLF, back to the APHC. |
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Eight militants
killed
Srinagar, May 13 Two militants of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen were killed in an encounter with the security forces at Katroosa, Khannabal in Anantnag district yesterday. They were identified as Abu Abdullah, alias, Abrar, from Pakistan and a local militant, Ajaz Ahmad, alias, Jadyar. Two AK rifles, five AK magazines and 30 rounds were recovered from the site of encounter. A security forces jawan was also injured in the encounter, the police said. Another militant was killed in an encounter with the security forces at Dara Behak in the Kokernag area of Anantnag district last night. He was identified as Zaffar Ahmad Parray of Harkat-ul-Jehadi Islami, from whose possession one AK rifle, three magazines and 42 rounds were recovered, a defence spokesman said. A militant of the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen was killed in an encounter with the security forces at Harwan near here last night, the police said. Two suspected militants were killed in an encounter with the security forces at Prupet in Kupwara district of north Kashmir yesterday. Two militants of the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen were killed in an encounter with the security forces at Zaloora forests near Sopore in Baramulla district yesterday. They have been identified as Shabir Ahmad Magray and Mohammad Ashraf Bhat, alias Jameel. Suspected militants looted Rs 1,73,980 from Cooperative bank, Habak in the Hazratbal area on the outskirts of Srinagar this afternoon. |
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Protest against grenade blast in school
Srinagar, May 13 Two of them were being treated at the SKIMS, Soura, and eight at the SMHS hospital here. The Chief Minister today visited the Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences at Soura and the SMHS hospital to enquire about the condition of the injured and distributed Rs 10,000 each among them. Tension prevailed in the central Lal Chowk area after the two women who were declared brought dead at the SKIMS hospital yesterday, were identified as mother and daughter, both residents of a nearby locality at the Court Road. They were identified as Ms
Shafeeqa, wife of Abdul Rashid Bhat and her daughter, Aasiya. Pitched battles were also witnessed between protesters and the police at the Maisuma and Court Road in the Lal Chowk area. All shops and business establishments were closed and there was thin attendance in government offices and banks. No militant organisation has so far claimed the responsibility for the attack. However, several separatist organisations, including the two factions of the APHC, have condemned the yesterday’s incident. The Governor, Lt-Gen S.K. Sinha, the Chief Minister and others condemned the attack and described it as a cowardly act. In view of yesterday’s incident the management ordered the closure of all missionary schools for two days. These schools are Tyndale Biscoe and
Mallinson, Burn Hall and Presentation Convent, Kashmir Valley School, Humahama and Tyndale Biscoe at
Tangmarg. |
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Governor seeks opinion
Jammu, May 13 The Bill was passed by both Houses of the
Legislature and sent to the Governor for his assent about a month ago. Sources told this correspondent that the Governor did not want to okay the Bill in a hurry as it was considered not to be in conformity with the Central Act that aimed at strengthening the panchayat raj system. The intentions of the government in bringing the Bill have been questioned by the Opposition that has alleged that the PDP-Congress coalition wants to “grab the grassroots panchayats” by holding fresh elections. On the other hand, the government has claimed that fresh elections would enable 33 per cent reservation for women in the panchayats. However, the Opposition National Conference has described the action as undemocratic and has asked the Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, to get the Assembly dissolved and hold fresh elections for it in case he was so serious about giving 33 per cent reservation to women. The sources said the Governor himself wanted to be convinced about the underlying intention of the Bill before granting his assent to it. Although the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, had in a recent public meeting at Udhampur asked the state government to incorporate the 73rd and 74th amendments in its own Constitution so as to provide powers to the panchayats and make these responsible for development in their respective areas, even the Congress, that is sharing power in the state, has virtually not taken the advice seriously and is bent upon getting the elected panchayats dissolved. The rural masses have remained deprived of the benefits of the Central Panchayati Raj Act as the amendments have not so far been incorporated in the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir. The National Conference is controlling most of the 1,007 panchayats for which elections were held in 2002. Elections could not be held in the remaining 1,693 panchayats because of militancy. The Opposition is demanding that instead of dissolving all panchayats, the government should take steps to hold elections in the panchayats that were left out during 2002. The terrorism-related scenario, particularly in the Kashmir valley, remains unchanged as a number of persons who recently won the civic poll have resigned following the killing of several elected representatives by terrorists. The state Assembly witnessed noisy scenes on the issue of the Bill during the last session when the Opposition resisted the move of the Treasury Benches. |
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Steps afoot to protect
Kashmir heritage
Srinagar, May 13 This assurance was given by Mr K.
Chakarwarti, Director-General, Museums, Government of India, at a conference of historians, intellectuals and literary personalities here. He announced that a cultural heritage centre along with other information research components and traditional cultural units would be part of the centre at Harti Niwas coming up here. Important government departments would be given space in the premises. The officer said there were rare manuscripts available in government establishments and with private organisations which required proper preservation. The Director Conservation, National Museum, Mr S.P. Singh, and senior officers of the state government and men of letters attended the conference at the SKICC here. A weeklong workshop for training people with regard to preservation of rare manuscripts will be held here, apart from organising a heritage exhibition. Scholars suggested to the Department of Archives to play its role for protection of rare monumental sites. It was suggested that heritage sites of King
Shuhabudin, Rinchan Shah and Bulbul Shah should be renovated and rebuild. It was also decided that all departments concerned should take timely action to remove the encroachments made at monumental sites and heritage places. It was also suggested that heritage sites at
Burzahama, Buddhist monuments at Harwan and Parihaspora be further developed. It was appreciated by scholars that the city character of Parihaspora was being revived as the government was considering a proposal to make it the new state capital to decongest Srinagar city. |
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Mahant objects to govt’s remarks on yatra
Srinagar, May 13 In a statement issued here the mahant said the mythology was linked with myth or falsehood, adding that the use of such a derogatory reference in the context of holy Amarnath pilgrimage amounted to blasphemy and was most objectionable. The state government should have respected the sentiments of Hindus and used words like Hindu religious beliefs or Hindu religious traditions instead of Hindu mythology, the mahant added. The mahant is the custodian of Chhari-Mubarak, the holy mace of Lord Shiva, and is also a member of the Amarnath Shrine Board since its inception. He has demanded an apology from the state government and immediate deletion of the derogatory remarks against Hindu religion in the context of the Amarnath yatra. “Irrespective of the state government’s stand regarding the conduct of this sacred yatra, the use of such objectionable words only betrays its mindset and puerile efforts to interfere and create hurdles in the smooth conduct of the sacred yatra of national importance”, the mahant added. The state government was unfortunately seeking to repeat what it had done in 2004, he said. The Yatra is a symbol of Hindu-Muslim amity and goodwill. It is also a boon for the economy of those living in the area. The mahant has strongly urged the state government to refrain from saying things that could disturb the traditional cordial releations between the two major communities. |
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