J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

One killed, 20 hurt in Kupwara clash
Srinagar, June 12
At least one civilian was killed and more than 20 were injured in protest demonstrations on the third consecutive day today against the alleged desecration of a mosque in Kupwara.

7,000 stranded as Yatra is suspended
Srinagar, June 12
For second consecutive day today movement of pilgrims both from Pahalgam and Baltal routes to holy cave shrine of Amarnath was suspended due to heavy snowfall and rain in the region.

CRPF official seeks Kalam’s nod to end life
Jammu, June 12
Shaken at his failure to get justice, a Deputy Commandant of the 78th CRPF Battalion, Mr Shiv Charan Jha, has sent a petition to the President of India, Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, requesting him to grant him “permission to end life”.

A rousing start to Indo-Pak Sufi music fest
Srinagar, June 12
A unique five-day Indo-Pak Sufi Music Festival, under the aegis of the Amarnath Shrine Board, being held at Srinagar, Baramulla and Pahalgam, began with scintillating performances by renowned artistes from the two neighbouring countries at the SKICC here last evening.

Head Constable killed in militant attack
Baramula, June 12
A head constable of the Jammu and Kashmir police was killed and another injured when militants attacked a patrol party in North Kashmir this afternoon.

One killed, 20 hurt in Kupwara clash
Tribune news Service

Srinagar, June 12
At least one civilian was killed and more than 20 were injured in protest demonstrations on the third consecutive day today against the alleged desecration of a mosque in Kupwara. The trouble started on Saturday after protest demonstrations were held near Trehgam, Kupwara following an overnight incident of the alleged desecration of a mosque by security forces at the nearby Zurhama village.

The police said a large number of people were taking out a procession from Trehgam towards Zurhama village that was stopped to prevent any trouble. The protesters resorted to stone-throwing that led to a clash between the police, CRPF and the demonstrators.

At least 21 persons were injured in the clash, one of them seriously who was shifted to a Srinagar hospital. Identified as Javed Ahmad Malik, a student, he later succumbed to his injuries in the hospital.

Those injured included a DSP, five police personnel and eight CRPF personnel, reports here said. Tension gripped the area for the third consecutive day today after the residents of Zurhama village, near Kupwara, alleged that security forces personnel had beaten up the worshippers at a mosque on Friday night. It was also alleged that the security personnel paying least regard had entered the mosque with their shoes that created resentment among the masses.

This information led to protests in the area on Saturday in which one person was killed and at least 25 others injured on Saturday.

The moderate faction of the separatist Hurriyat Conference, led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, has called for a general strike tomorrow in protest against the incident. A spokesman for the APHJC has taken exception to such incidents, which had taken place after the recent assurances of the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh on zero tolerance for any violation of human rights.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned the killing of another innocent civilian allegedly in police firing on protesters today and has demanded a time-bound inquiry into the incidents that have taken place in this border district during the past few days resulting in public outrage.

It has asked the government to take stern action against the erring security forces personnel, who by such senseless actions add fuel to the fire. “Instead of handling the situation, where public sentiment is involved, with care and prudence, it has, of late, become a routine with the security forces personnel to shower bullets on the protesters, who have every right to protest in a democratic way”, PDP general secretary Dilawar Mir said. 

7,000 stranded as Yatra is suspended
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, June 12
For second consecutive day today movement of pilgrims both from Pahalgam and Baltal routes to holy cave shrine of Amarnath was suspended due to heavy snowfall and rain in the region. Due to this around 5000 pilgrims are reported stranded at the base camp of Pahalgam in south Kashmir, wherefrom the yatra could not commenced since June 11. The pilgrims had arrived at the base camp from Jammu on Saturday and Sunday while the movement was stopped due to bad weather today, DIG Police, South Kashmir range, H.K. Lohia said. A number of pilgrims had already poured in, most of them via Baltal route, before formal commencement of the yatra. The yatra would start only after the weather and it would take at least two more days for the commencement of the yatra, an official of the Shrine Board told this correspondent.

At least 2000 more pilgrims were stranded at the cave shrine, out of whom 1500 were moved down to Baltal today, a senior officer of the Amarnath Shrine Board said.

There was sufficient stock of food and shelter available for the rest 500 who still were at the cave, the officer told this correspondent here this evening. Arrangement of accommodation, medicare, including oxygen, have been made available to those lodged near the cave. Those stranded at the cave had already poured in from different parts of the country prior to formal commencement of the yatra from Sunday last, June 11.

Meanwhile, Governor S K Sinha flew to Baltal early this morning to get first hand information about the stranded Amarnath pilgrims on the 13 km stretch from Domel to the holy cave due to heavy snowfall on the very first day of the yatra. According to an official spokesman due to bad weather the Governor could not fly to the cave where he had performed Pratham Puja just before snow flakes started coming down in the cave periphery.

He expressed satisfaction over rescue measures undertaken by the Army and the security forces, including the Police, the BSF and the CRPF for the care of 2000 pilgrims stranded at the cave and the track.

The holy cave periphery is under a thick cover of two-foot fresh snow. Same is the position on the track at various points with continued inclement weather punctuated by incessant rain and snowfall, the spokesman said.

“But for the timely help of the security forces, there could have been casualties”, the Governor said appreciating the effort of the security forces. He said “It was a great relief that there has not been any casuality due to extreme bad weather last night”. He said all pilgrims and locals engaged with the yatra were provided shelter and other essentials by the forces detailed on the yatra track.

The Governor went up to Domel and discussed with the officers arrangements, especially those planned for such exigencies. He also interacted with several pilgrims, who had been rescued and brought down to Baltal. They were very appreciative of the help and medical care given to them.

The spokesman said a woman pilgrim, (38) died due to cardiac arrest at the Baltal camp last night. She arrived at the camp yesterday and had not gone ahead of the base camp for the yatra. 

CRPF official seeks Kalam’s nod to end life
Our Correspondent

Jammu, June 12
Shaken at his failure to get justice, a Deputy Commandant of the 78th CRPF Battalion, Mr Shiv Charan Jha, has sent a petition to the President of India, Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, requesting him to grant him “permission to end life”.

Mr Jha’s fight, during the past two years, for justice has gone waste despite his alleged repeated communications to the Union Home Minister, the Home Secretary and the Director-General, CRPF.

In his petition to the President, Mr Jha has alleged that when he was posted in Chennai, his room was searched, without any search warrants, on the “fake charge” of having received bribe for manipulating recruitments.

He claimed that nothing incriminating was recovered from his room while some money had been seized from one of the members of the recruitment board.

While questioning the legality of the search operation, Mr Jha had, in his earlier petition to the President, sought his intervention to set the wrong right so that “I no longer was humiliated and forced to lead a life without dignity”.

On the basis of the petition, the President had forwarded the complaint to the Union Home Secretary for appropriate action.

After Mr Jha received no intimation from the Union Home Secretary, he resorted to a ‘satyagraha’ in which he took only one meal a day. Feeling dejected, he also shaved off his moustache.

Mr Jha told mediapersons in Jammu today that soon after he was suspended, he sent another petition to the President to grant him permission to end his life.

He said, “I have stated that suicide was a criminal offence which I was not prepared to commit”, and was, therefore, seeking the President’s permission to end his life.

A rousing start to Indo-Pak Sufi music fest
Tribune News Service

Srinagar, June 12
A unique five-day Indo-Pak Sufi Music Festival, under the aegis of the Amarnath Shrine Board, being held at Srinagar, Baramulla and Pahalgam, began with scintillating performances by renowned artistes from the two neighbouring countries at the SKICC here last evening.

A galaxy of artistes, including nationally acclaimed Pt Shiv Kumar Sharma, Bhajan Sopori and Pakistan’s Naeem Abbas Rufi and Bandhu Khan, graced the occasion.

The festival is being organised by the Amarnath Shrine Board, in collaboration with the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) and Doordarshan, with the cooperation of Jammu and Kashmir Departments of Information and Tourism.

It was inaugurated by the Governor, Lieut-Gen (retd) S.K. Sinha, who is also the Chairman of the Amarnath Shrine Board, at the SKICC last night.

“This festival has been held with a message of love and harmony,” said Mr Pawan K. Varma, Director- General of the ICCR, adding that the event was important given the participation of artistes from Pakistan.

The renowned artistes, including Pt Shiv Shankar and Mr Nayeem Abbas Rufi, and others who were present at a press conference here this morning, talked in detail about the significance of such events that were being held for the first time in Kashmir.

They dwelt upon the cultural relations between the two neighbouring countries that were bound by close cultural affinity saying that “languages can be different but music has only one universal language”.

Addressing the press conference, the DG, ICCR, said much talent was available in Jammu and Kashmir adding that the council would “try and use this talent in the country and abroad”.

He held that the artistes from outside the country would also find opportunities to perform in Jammu and Kashmir, which had rich cultural ethos.

He expressed the hope that there would be a memorandum of understanding with the Jammu and Kashmir Government to bring out the hidden talent in the state.

He stressed on the need for empanelment of the artistes from Jammu and Kashmir, which has hardly taken place so far, so that they could find a chance to perform outside the state as well as the country.

Referring to the cultural infrastructure of the state, Mr Varma held that any proposals to help evolve upcoming artistes would be accepted.

“We invite the artistes from this state for the empanelment,” Mr Varma told The Tribune, adding that the ICCR also sought cooperation from the State Academy of Art, Culture and Languages in “playing a facilitating role”.

The five-day festival includes three- hour-long programmes at the SKICC here for three consecutive days beginning yesterday night.

This would be followed by Sufi musical programmes at Sherwani Memorial Hall, Baramulla, on Wednesday.

The concluding programme of three-hour duration would be held at Pine and Peak Hotel, Pahalgam, on Thursday.

Referring to the role of the ICCR, the DG, Mr Pawan K. Varma, said it was committed to its objective of “strengthening relations between the countries using the medium of culture”.

This was for the second time that the ICCR was holding its programme, after about one year, in Kashmir.

But this programme is different in developing a “cultural diplomacy” in the neighbouring countries that is being hosted in the home state of the ICCR’s President, Dr Karan Singh.

“He (Dr Karan Singh) is keen to see that the established and emerging talent from the state gets visibility,” said Mr Varma. 

Head Constable killed in militant attack

Baramula, June 12
A head constable of the Jammu and Kashmir police was killed and another injured when militants attacked a patrol party in North Kashmir this afternoon.

Official sources said the militants attacked a police party near Degree College, Sopore, in the district.

While Bashir Ahmad died on the spot, Hilal Ahmad Dar, a Special Police Officer (SPO), was injured. — UNI