The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	Hurriyat forms group to meet PM Tribune News Service Srinagar, May 1 After day-long deliberations the moderate faction of separatist Hurriyat Conference here today constituted a six-member delegation led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq that would be meeting the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh in New Delhi on Wednesday. This is in response to the invitation from the Prime Minister’s office on Friday last for holding second round of talks with the APHC leaders as part of the dialogue process to resolve Kashmir issue. Announcing the constitution of the six-member delegation after the meeting, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq told mediapersons at Rajbagh this afternoon that the APHC would discuss Kashmir with the Prime Minister during their meeting. The two sides had first round of talks in New Delhi in September last year, that followed the APHC leaders’ visit to Pakistan and PoK. Those comprising the Hurriyat delegation apart from its chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq include Abdul Ghani Bhat, Moulvi Abbas Ansari, Bilal Lone, Fazal-ul-Haq Qureshi and Agha Syed Hassan. Except for Agha Syed Hassan, the other five members had had already met Manmohan Singh in their last meeting and also visited Pakistan and PoK and had meetings with senior government functionaries and leaders of different political parties there. The Mirwaiz said time was not proper to consider the participation in the second roundtable being convened by the Prime Minister. He held that this could be discussed only after their return from the union capital. The Mirwaiz claimed that there had been an undue delay and little progress towards the resolution of Kashmir issue.
	Mufti for involving separatists in talks Tribune News Service Srinagar, May 1 Former Chief Minister Mufti Sayeed has sought that separatist organisations be involved in the ongoing dialogue process as there had been discernible change in the mindset of people wanting resolution of the Kashmir issue through negotiations. Addressing reports here today, the Mufti said the changed atmosphere over the past three years demanded involvement of all those seeking lasting peace in the region. “Those people (separatists) should take note of this change in the mindset of people”, PDP patron Mufti commented as he referred to the recent byelections. He made it clear that people had reposed confidence in the electoral and democratic process by massive participation in the recent byelections to three Assembly constituencies in north Kashmir.
	Sex scandal acid test for Ghulam Nabi Azad S.P. Sharma Tribune News Service Jammu, May 1 Yet another sex scandal allegedly involving some ministers, police and civil officers that has rocked Jammu and Kashmir is an acid test for Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad who has pledged to provide a clean administration in the state. People are keenly watching whether the scandal in which 43 minor girls were forced into the flesh trade would be allowed to be carried to its logical conclusion by the police or hushed up like the earlier infamous case in which a girl of Jammu was involved. In his initial reaction, Mr Azad apparently tried to shift the burden of the Srinagar sex scandal by claiming that it was a two-year-old incident when the PDP was heading the government. However, such comment cannot reduce the seriousness of the scandal and absolve the Azad government of its responsibility. It is to be seen as what progress the state police makes in the enquiry and booking those involved in the scandal. Demands for transferring the case to the CBI have started coming in as people are apprehensive whether the state police will be in a position to take action against the bigwigs involved in exploitation of the minor school-going girls. The two sex scandals allegedly involving ministers and police officers have put the state government in the dock. The recent sex-scandal that has rocked the Kashmir valley is of a very serious nature as minor girls were reportedly pushed into the flesh trade by an influential woman who had links with terrorists. Although Mr Azad has announced that no one would be spared in the matter, observers wonder whether he sticks to his word. Senior politicians, policemen and certain prominent citizens were involved in both these cases. After taking a series of turns and twists, the earlier sex scandal involving a girl of Jammu is almost a hopeless case now as the evidence was allegedly tampered with. It is worth mentioning that the name of a minister figured in the earlier scandal. However, the DGP was summoned to the secretariat by a group of ministers where he was allegedly grilled on the issue. The police has so far detained three persons in connection with the Srinagar episode and investigations are in progress. CBI to probe Srinagar: Just three days after the expose, the Jammu and Kashmir government has decided to transfer the alleged sex scandal and prostitution case, involving some politicians and police officers, to the CBI for a thorough investigation. An official spokesman said here that the "government has decided to transfer the alleged sex scandal and prostitution case to the CBI for a thorough investigation". — TNS
	Doda attack again raises issue of boosting VDCs Our Correspondent Jammu, May 1 On the heels of the massacre of 22 persons in Doda district on Sunday night, the state government is contemplating to equip members of the village defence committees with sophisticated weapons so that they can repulse militant attacks. An indication to this effect was given by the Chief Minister, Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad, while talking to mediapersons here today. In fact, the demand for better weapons for the VDC members and a hike in their monthly emoluments has remained under the carpet for the past several years. And the demand is resurfaced after each incident of attack on civilians by militants. When Prof Chaman Lal Gupta, senior BJP leader, was Minister of State for Defence, he too had tried to persuade the Government of India to equip the VDC members with sophisticated weapons because field reports had revealed that with .303 guns in their hands and five bullets in their bags, the VDC members had invariably failed to repulse any rebel attack, though at many places the VDC boys had shown remarkable successes in either killing militants or forcing them to beat a hasty retreat. The demand could not be conceded all these years after reports reached the government that in several areas VDC members had indulged in extortion and had been settling their scores with villagers. When the VDCs were established, their boys showed exemplary courage in repulsing militant attacks. However, they lost interest when they were given neither any emoluments nor better weapons. Official sources said in Doda district there were about 9000 VDC members who received a pittance. One senior police officer said Rs 1,500 per month is paid to one special police officer who heads the VDC and in case one VDC had three SPOs its 10 members share Rs 4,500 the SPOs get. The SPOs receive the maximum share of the kitty, leaving the members high and dry. The issue figured in the state Assembly during the recent budget session and the Chief Minister had announced that he would write to the Centre for raising the emoluments of VDC members. But so far, nothing has been done.
	Mufti flays massacre Tribune News Service Srinagar, May 1 Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed has strongly condemned the killing of 22 members of a particular community in Doda and four others in Udhampur districts of Jammu region by suspected militants. He also condemned the killing of a telecom engineer, K Surayanarayana, in Afghanistan asserting that this would not hamper the Government of India’s reconstruction programme in that country.
	LeT leads in killing members of minority community Tribune News Service Jammu, May 1 The Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), with its headquarters in Pakistan, which has mercenaries from Afghanistan and Pakistan on its rolls, is involved in the largest number of incidents of massacre of Hindus in Jammu and Kashmir. In the 19 massacres engineered by the LeT, 304 Hindus had been killed. Women and children had not been spared by terrorists of the outfit. The LeT, which operates in the districts of Poonch, Rajouri, Doda and Udhampur, is known to have massacred innocent people in the past 10 years. Police sources said LeT militants had so far killed 172 Hindus in Doda district, 85 in Kashmir, 41 in Udhampur and eight in Rajouri. No one had claimed responsibility for the massacre of 50 shepherds in recent incidents in the Poonch district. The massacre of 29 members of a marriage party at Chapnari in Doda district on June 19, 1998, continues to haunt people. Thirty-five labourers engaged by the Border Roads Organisation for constructing a road link from Himachal Pradesh were killed by the LeT at Kalaban in Chamba district on August 8, 1998. Other major strikes of the LeT in Doda district were on April 18, 1998, and July 19, 1999, when 27 persons were massacred at Prankot and 15 at Layata. Eleven Hindus were massacred in Doda district on August 2, 2000.
	Headquarters of CRPF attacked Srinagar, May 1 Militants attacked Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) battalion headquarters in the city here this afternoon. Elsewhere in Jammu and Kashmir, a Pakistani infiltrator was among three persons killed while four other intruders were arrested since last night. A CRPF spokesman said militants hurled a hand grenade towards the CRPF headquarters set up in Shiraz cinema at Khanyar at about 3.40 pm. The blast was followed by heavy firing, he said. Eyewitnesses said the blast was followed by heavy firing for about five minutes in the area. Shopkeepers in the area left for safety, leaving their shops open. Traffic on the road leading to the Hazratbal shrine was also suspended for about an hour. A report from Baramula said one labourer was killed and three others injured when an improvised explosive device (IED) exploded in north Kashmir today, official sources said. They said an IED exploded at Tutigund Handwara in Kupwara district, resulting in on-the-spot death of a labourer, Showkat Ahmad Dar, and injuring three others. The injured were hospitalised. The IED was planted by militants to target security forces. An official spokesman said security forces guarding the border noticed a group of militants sneaking in from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir near Hak Pathri Nallah. When challenged and asked to surrender, the infiltrators opened fire. The fire was returned and in the exchange of fire, one infiltrator was killed. One AK rifle, two magazines, 79 rounds of ammunition, two hand grenades and one identity card issued by the Pakistani authorities were recovered. Four Pakistan infiltrators were arrested immediately after they sneaked in the Machil sector. One pistol with a magazine and six rounds, one mobile phone and Pakistani currency worth Rs 630 were recovered from their possession. He said security forces gunned down a militant, Zafar Abbas Sheikh, in an encounter in the Hapatnar forest in south Kashmir last night. Some arms and ammunition were recovered from him. — UNI

Sand fox sighted in Ladakh
Vishal Gulati
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 1
The Tibetan sand fox, a carnivore of the Canidae family, has been sighted in the cold desert of Ladakh, which, according to experts, was the first sighting in India. This species is, however, widely distributed on highlands and steppes of China and Nepal.

Biologists of the Mysore-based Nature Conservation Foundation have recorded this animal during the study of ecology of the Tibetan gazelle, a species on the verge of extinction in India.

Also known as the sand fox or sili, its length is 60 cm and height 30 cm. It has a pale brown back with greyish white underparts. Its tail is bushy with a white tip. It’s one of the least studied foxes in the world.

The sighting of the sand fox was published in the latest issue of the Journal of BNHS (Bombay Natural History Society).

Mr Tsewang Namgail of the foundation, who has been studying the fauna of Ladakh for the past six years, says the sand fox was sighted in and around the barren mountains of Changthang. It is a southwest extension of the Tibetan plateau.

The observations were made between 2004 and 2005 on Kajukongka La, the Chumur valley and the Hanle valley.

The Changthang region is home to rare animals such as the Tibetan gazelle, the Tibetan wild ass, the Tibetan argali, the blue sheep, the snow leopard, the Tibetan wolf, the Eurasian lynx, the red fox, the pika and the vole. The area is also a haven for migratory birds like the black-necked crane and the bar-headed geese.

Mr Namgail, an alumnus of Panjab University, Chandigarh, says the sand fox has a close resemblance to the red fox. He says the red fox is larger with dark grey to black-coloured legs and is quite common in Ladakh.

He says since the sand fox was not known to occur in this area before, so it is not listed in any schedule of the Wildlife Protection Act. The Red Data Book — a compendium of species facing extinction — has put the animal in the “least concern” category.

He says the livestock population is increasing apace in Changthang, which may put tremendous pressure on rangelands, thereby affecting the population of sand fox’s prey species.

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