J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Power transfer pact to benefit
NC, separatists
Jammu, October 6
The implementation of the power transfer agreement, under which a Congress leader is to replace Mufti Mohammed Sayeed as Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir state, will benefit two political camps, the National Conference and separatists.

Sikhs, Hindus on bus for Muzaffarabad
Srinagar, October 6
For the first time since it rolled out on April 7, non-Muslims boarded the Muzaffarabad-bound bus today with four Sikhs and three Hindus among the 25 passengers travelling to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

SBI cashier, NC leader among seven killed
Srinagar, October 6
A cashier of the State Bank of India and a National Conference leader were among seven people killed while security forces arrested a militant in Jammu and Kashmir overnight.

More than 300 suicides in 2 years
Srinagar, October 6
About 306 suicide cases have been registered in Jammu and Kashmir, in the past two years, with the Valley alone accounting for 245 such incidents, officials said today.

Arrest warrant against Chandan Mitra
Srinagar, October 6
A local court here today issued an arrest warrant against Chandan Mitra, Editor-in-Chief of English Daily ‘The Pioneer’ and a columnist of the paper, Anil Bhat, in a case of alleged defamation filed by a local bilingual daily.

Lieut-Gen Jamwal visits Jammu
Jammu, October 6
Lt Gen K.S. Jamwal, GOC-in-C Army training command, Shimla, arrived here today on a two-day visit to the state.

Dharna by ABVP
Jammu, October 6
The ABVP today staged a dharna outside the office of the Divisional Commissioner here to protest against the discrimination against the Jammu region.

Power transfer pact to benefit NC, separatists
M.L. Kak

Jammu, October 6
The implementation of the power transfer agreement, under which a Congress leader is to replace Mufti Mohammed Sayeed as Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir state, will benefit two political camps, the National Conference and separatists.

Right from the day Mufti Sayeed took over as Chief Minister, he succeeded, to a large extent, in hijacking the agenda of the separatists. No doubt the ongoing peace inititiative and the confidence-building measures between India and Pakistan were the result of international pressure, the Mufti’s repeated emphasis on people-to-people contact, opening of the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road for trade and travel and on the need for initiating a sustained and meaningful dialogue between Delhi and Islamabad left the separatists in Kashmir with hardly any major issue for campaigning.

Common people in Jammu and Kashmir do not hesitate in giving credit to Mufti Sayeed for the gradual success in the confidence building measures initiated by India and Pakistan. The Mufti’s political image grew in size when people realised that his demand, made during the 2002 Assembly poll, for the reopening of Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road was conceded.

Official sources indicated that his other demands which included setting up of meeting points on the border for enabling large groups of people on either side of the LOC to meet without any hassle, reopening of Poonch-Rawalakot and Kargil-Skardu road for travel and permission for keeping these routes open for trade were being cleared by Islamabad and Delhi.

And once all these demands of the PDP were fulfilled the separatists were bound to feel more uncomfortable than they seem to be at present.

Also, the policy of liberalisation adopted by the Mufti resulted in the decrease in political weight of the separatists. The Chief Minister allowed leaders of separatist camps freedom to move around the state and organise public rallies. Political analysts in the state compare the Mufti’s policy of liberalisation to the one persued by Mr G.M. Sadiq, a former Chief Minister, who imposed no restrictions on Sheikh Abdullah’s political activities.

Within a couple of years, these analysts recall, Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah lost the aura he had worn when in prison and during the time restrictions on his political activities had been imposed. The separatists in Kashmir face a dilemma similar to the one the Sheikh had faced under the Sadiq regime.

The National Conference leadership has remained highly perturbed over the birth of the PDP. Hitherto the National Conference had, during its 67-year long history, ruled the hearts of people of Kashmir who saw in its regional character a “fortress” against political and cultural invasion from Delhi.

And the six-year old PDP has posed a threat to the National Conference. Its leadership has realised that if the Mufti was allowed to continue as Chief Minister it (NC) would not be able to defeat the PDP in the next elections.

The NC leadership seems to be confident that it can win the poll against the Congress quite easily as it had done in the past. Hence like the separatists the National Conference feels it would be benefitted if the Congress takes the rider’s seat in the coalition government though for separate reasons.

While the NC leadership hopes that once the Congress leader took over as the Chief Minister differences with the PDP may widen leaving scope for support from the NC being sought by the Congress. The separatists feel that the Congress-led government would not be in a position to adopt a policy of liberalisation of the pattern adopted by the Mufti and that could help them (separatists) to regain the ground they had lost.

Sikhs, Hindus on bus for Muzaffarabad

Srinagar, October 6
For the first time since it rolled out on April 7, non-Muslims boarded the Muzaffarabad-bound bus today with four Sikhs and three Hindus among the 25 passengers travelling to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Four Sikhs, three Hindus and a Muslim comprised the batch of travellers to PoK on “Karavan-e-Aman” (peace caravan) from this side while 17 passengers were returning to Muzaffarabad after visiting their relatives here, officials said.

The passengers are Mr Kirpal Singh, Sant Gurcharan Singh, Mr Jameer Singh, Mr Sanmukh Singh, Mr Jagdish Lal, his son Subhash Lal and Mr Abdul Dar, they said.

The bus left from Bemina Yard of the J&K State Road Transport Corporation for Kaman Post on the Indian frontier amid tight security. The authorities have been changing the venue and time of departure of the bus in view of the threat by some militant groups targetting the service. — PTI

SBI cashier, NC leader among seven killed

Srinagar, October 6
A cashier of the State Bank of India (SBI) and a National Conference (NC) leader were among seven people killed while security forces arrested a militant in Jammu and Kashmir overnight.

Official sources said militants triggered a powerful Improvised Explosive Device (IED) when a SBI vehicle was passing the area at Doru in Anantnag district around 12.30 pm today.

They said an assistant cashier of the SBI, Mohammad Yaseen, was killed on the spot and two security personnel and another person travelling in the vehicle were injured. Three pedestrains were also injured in the blast, sources said adding the injured were hospitalised.

The SBI vehicle was on way to Anantnag from Verinag after dropping cash in the local branch of the SBI there. The vehicle was totally damaged in the blast.

An official spokesman said militants shot at and critically wounded a NC leader and numberdar Abdul Rashid Laway at Damhal Hanjipora in south Kashmir last night. He was rushed to hospital where he was declared brought dead.

Security forces gunned down two militants, including a foreigner Khalid Saifee in an encounter at Shopian in south Kashmir. — UNI

More than 300 suicides in 2 years

Srinagar, October 6
About 306 suicide cases have been registered in Jammu and Kashmir, in the past two years, with the Valley alone accounting for 245 such incidents, officials said today.

Failed love affairs, strained matrimonial relations and domestic constraints are some of the major factors which prompt individuals to commit or attempt suicide, they added.

The officials said that disputes with the in-laws, meagre financial resources and failure in examinations are the other factors which force individuals to resort to such an act.

However, they said, no official survey has been carried out to determine the causes for the extreme step and an alarming increase in the disturbing trend.

The officials said about 306 suicide cases due to poison consumption were registered in the state in the past two years.

Of these, 245 have been reported from the Kashmir Valley while the remaining 61 cases were from the Jammu region, they added. — UNI

Arrest warrant against Chandan Mitra

Srinagar, October 6
A local court here today issued an arrest warrant against Chandan Mitra, Editor-in-Chief of English Daily ‘The Pioneer’ and a columnist of the paper, Anil Bhat, in a case of alleged defamation filed by a local bilingual daily.

The Second Additional Munsif, Javed Alam, directed the police to arrest Mitra and Bhat and present them before the court on October 17.

However, he kept a provision of bail for Mitra and Bhat against a surety of Rs 5000 each during their appearance before the court. — PTI

Lieut-Gen Jamwal visits Jammu

Jammu, October 6
Lt Gen K.S. Jamwal, GOC-in-C Army training command, Shimla, arrived here today on a two-day visit to the state.

Army sources said during his stay here, Gen Jamwal was scheduled to interact with the senior Army officers and have a meeting with GOC-in-C Northern Command at Udhampur.

He would fly back to Shimla on Friday, the sources added. — UNI

Dharna by ABVP
Tribune News Service

Jammu, October 6
The ABVP today staged a dharna outside the office of the Divisional Commissioner here to protest against the discrimination against the Jammu region.

Mr.Adarsh Kumar, state secretary, ABVP, said the protest was against denial of adequate representation to students of Jammu in professional colleges. The activists also demanded that an education commission be established in the state to formulate education policy.