Leh, September 5
India will always maintain cordial relations with its neighbouring countries, Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil said here.

Speaking at a ‘sammelan’, organised by the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), at Choglamsar last evening, the Home Minister appreciated the police, para-military forces and the Army for playing a positive role in maintaining the internal security and also protecting the borders in Ladakh where weather is inclement and hazardous.

He urged the police and the para-military forces to work with added valour in maintaining internal security and protecting the borders.

Earlier, the Home Minister interacted with leaders of the Congress, the Ladakh Union Territory Front and heads of several religious organisations in the region.

The ‘sammelan’ was attended by BSF Director-General J.K. Jain, NESF Director-General Vijay Shankar, CISF Director-General Sis Ahmad, CBI Director U.B. Misra and ITBF Director-General S.K. Jain.

Mr Patil had arrived in Leh on a two-day visit on Saturday.

During the visit, the Home Minister discussed the present political situation in the Ladakh region with various political and religious leaders.

Mr Patil also placed a floral wreath and offered tributes to the police martyrs at Hot Spring in Fobrang.

He also addressed the ITBP and the Army jawans at Lukung and praised their valour in defending the borders and later left for New Delhi last evening. — UNI

Jammu, September 5
While expressing deep surprise and amazement over the way separatists were being encouraged by the Government of India to enter into a dialogue with it for settling the Kashmir issue, a section of Kashmiri Pandits feel that those “patriotic forces which do not dispute the state’s accession with India are being sidelined and undermined.”

Chairman Panun Kashmir, Dr Ajay Chrungoo, said here today “those in Jammu and Ladakh regions who respected the constitution of India and accepted that the state’s accession with India is final are being ignored by Delhi.”

He said “Even if there is a Kashmir problem it is not confined to the valley but people of two other regions, Jammu and Ladakh, are as much keen to see peace and normalcy restored to the state as others in Kashmir are.”

Dr Chrungoo said “the Government of India cannot deny that the people greatly affected by 15-year-long turmoil are those belonging to the Pandit community and it is unfortunate that representatives of this ethnic group have never been involved in any talks by the Centre.”

“What is intriguing is that those who have been euologising the gun culture are being preferred for a dialogue by the Centre. And this time the level of the dialogue has been upgraded with Prime Minister, Mr Manmohan Singh, playing the host to the APHC leaders,” Panun Kashmir chairman said.

He said at one stage the Government of India had announced that the way the APHC leaders travelled to Pakistan without first securing passports called for action. But, instead of that they have been invited to talks by the Prime Minister.

The General Secretary of All State Kashmiri Pandit Conference, Mr H.L. Chatha, said “as main victims of militancy-related violence in Kashmir, Pandit deserve the right to be taken into confidence while hammering out any solution to the problem.”

He said “We are for a dialogue with all political groups in the three regions of the state. We are for our inclusion in the parleys but we do not want to beg for it.”

The Pandit leaders said that if the ongoing talks either with Pakistan or with a section of Kashmiri separatists are intended to discuss the future of people of the Kashmir Valley the Government of India cannot keep its eyes shut on the future of people of Jammu and Ladakh regions.

They said “that by giving preferential treatment to the APHC leaders the Centre was simply giving recognition to the representative character of the Hurriyat leaders which they do not have.”

Srinagar, September 5
Describing the Centre-Hurriyat talks as a “futile exercise”, the APHC chairman, Syed Ali Shah Geelani here today said that those participating in these talks had no representative character of the Kashmiris’ “freedom struggle”. Geelani, who had rejected Pakistan’s invitation to visit that country in June last, has been against the stand taken by moderate faction of Hurriyat Conference led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, which is talking to the Central government.

The fresh round of Centre-APHC talks is the first with the UPA government after it took over in May last year, while two rounds of talks had taken place with the NDA government at the Centre.

Talking to newsmen here today, the hardline APHC chairman, Syed Ali Shah Geelani said that the talks would not lead to any conclusion as there was need to address the root cause of the Kashmir issue. He said that the APHC took the step in violation of its Constitution once it accepted to enter into dialogue with the Central government under the ambit of the Indian Constitution.

Geelani claimed that the APHC faction led by Umar Farooq had already shifted its stand by participating in different conferences like Pugwash without referring to the right of self-determination for the people of Jammu and Kashmir. He held that the stand taken by the moderate faction by entering into the dialogue was not acceptable.

Referring to the Pakistan’s stand on Kashmir policy, Geelani held that unlike the past regimes, the present government had shifted its stand, but resolved to continue the “struggle until an everlasting solution to Kashmir problem” was sought.

Geelani had invited the Bar Association of the state High Court, JKLF and Democratic Freedom Party led by Shabir Ahmad Shah to join him at today’s press conference, but they did not turn up. When asked, Geelani shot back saying that the question may be asked to the leaders of those parties or groups.

The APHC chairman reiterated his stand on the resolution of Kashmir issue through tripartite talks and the right of self-determination under UN resolutions.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan-based APHC Convener, Muhammad Farooq Rehmani, in a statement circulated to the press here today has said that tripartite talks by involving “popular representatives” of Kashmir would lead to an amicable settlement of the dispute and peace in the region.

“Despite world’s stress on political talks between Pakistan, India and Kashmiris, India was not creating conducive environment for the resolution of Kashmir dispute by peaceful means”, he stated. He urged the international community to pave the way for a durable and peaceful settlement of Kashmir in accordance with the aspiration of the people.

He expressed concern over the alleged continued harassment “by using repressive laws, committing human rights violations to crush the movement of the right of self determination” in Jammu and Kashmir.

Geelani and Rehmani also demanded an immediate release of Ms Asiya Andrabi, chief of the underground women’s outfit, Dukhtaran-e-Millat, who was arrested here a few days back.

Jammu, September 5
The newly constituted J&K Accountability Commission to check corruption at high places became operational here with skeleton staff.

The chairman of the commission, Mr Justice R.P. Sethi, inaugurated the office at the Residency Road here and said that he was hopeful that the government would provide adequate staff for the functioning of the institution.

This is for the first time that such a commission has been established in Jammu and Kashmir although the institution of Lok Ayukata was established in most of the states much earlier.

Justice Sethi, who is a retired judge of the Supreme Court said that the commission would also take suo-motu action where it was satisfied that some functionary has misused the official position.

However, the commission would not indulge in undue harassment of anyone, but at the same time would tackle corruption with an iron hand.

He said that the biggest challenge before him was to put the newly set up commission on rails so that it could discharge the functions for which it has been established.