J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

Army not for vacating Siachen glacier
Kumar Post (Siachen), November 12
Amidst talks of resolving the standoff between India and Pakistan on the world’s highest battlefield, Army officials guarding Siachen appear to be averse to demilitarising the glacier, which they say, is vital for defence purposes.

Mass appeal: Cong, BJP to test water
Jammu, November 12
The Congress public rally to project the achievements of Azad-led government slated to be held on November 19 and the BJP’s Suraksha Sankalap Yatra on November 20 are being seen as events meant to test the strength of the two political rivals in the state.

CRPF commandant Shiv Charan Jha, who has vowed to keep half of his moustache shaved until he gets justice at a press conference in Jammu on Saturday. He was suspended from service a year ago on ground of being mentally imbalanced. — PTI

Militant roughs up cops in jail
Jammu, November 12
A Hizbul Mujahideen militant reportedly manhandled two police officials inside the high-security Kotbalwal Jail here, sources said.

Separatist group splits
Srinagar, November 12
A senior leader of the Democratic Political Movement (DPM), a constituent of hardline faction of the Hurriyat conference, headed by Syed Ali Shah Geelani, today revolted against party Chairman Firdous Ahmad Shah and announced his sacking.

Hizb ultra killed in gunbattle
Srinagar, November 12
A top Hizbul Mujahideen militant was killed today in a fierce gunbattle with security forces in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.

Gold worth Rs 7.5 crore offered
Jammu, November 12
The Vaishnodevi shrine in Jammu and Kashmir has received offerings of gold worth Rs 7.5 crore in the first 10 months of this year, officials said.

Army not for vacating Siachen glacier

Kumar Post (Siachen), November 12
Amidst talks of resolving the standoff between India and Pakistan on the world’s highest battlefield, Army officials guarding Siachen appear to be averse to demilitarising the glacier, which they say, is vital for defence purposes.

“We hold 12 tactically important peaks on the glacier. Besides we have the advantage in Nubra and Shyok valleys. If we vacate the glacier, it will weaken our position,” Brigadier Om Prakash, commander of the unit responsible for guarding Siachen, told visiting journalists.

He said Siachen was vital for the defence of the Ladakh region and if the glacier was demilitarised, the enemy would be able to dictate terms to New Delhi in this strategic region.

“India’s hold on Siachen is a great disadvantage to Pakistan and blunts its expansionist design,” Brig Prakash said.

Indian troops hold the Saltoro Ridge that overlooks Pakistani positions, giving them a military advantage. It is, however, more difficult to supply the Indian positions, which are largely dependent on aerial support.

Since four of the world’s eight highest peaks are located in this region, mountaineers from across the globe come there for expeditions and bring in foreign exchange for the country's exchequer. “Besides, the area is a 5,000 square km water reservoir which no one can ignore,” the Brig said.

New Delhi rushed troops to Siachen in 1984 following reports that Pakistan was allowing mountaineering expeditions to the glacier.

Brig Prakash said there was no sight of Pakistani forces in the vicinity of Siachen. “The Pakistanis are as far away as 20 km west of Siachen glacier. They don’t even have a glimpse of the main glacier,” he said.

Siachen is the world’s largest glacier outside the polar region and the coldest battlefield.

Asked about the effect of a ceasefire between India and Pakistan in effect on the glacier since late 2003, Brig Prakash said the situation had improved to a great extent and the number of casualties gone down. “Now we have casualties only due to weather conditions,” he said.

Englishman W. Moorcroft was the first outsider to reach the region in 1820 while another traveller Henry Starchy was the first to explore the glacier in 1848. Major F.N. Workman and his wife stayed in the area for a long time in the 1910s, surveyed the glacier and named it Siachen.

In local Ladakhi language Siachen means “place of roses”, though there are no roses in sight. The first Indian expedition team to Siachen was led by an Army man, Narendra Kumar, in 1978. When Pakistan sent in mountaineering expeditions, India sent an Army team to hold the glacier on April 13, 1984.

Four days later, another Army team was sent to the glacier, and since then the whole of Siachen has been under Indian troops.

The dispute over Siachen has its origin in the fact that the ceasefire line in Jammu and Kashmir was not extended beyond the map coordinate NJ9842 up to the glacier in 1948.

Since then, India and Pakistan have had differing positions on how the line should be extended. — PTI

Mass appeal: Cong, BJP to test water
Our Correspondent

Jammu, November 12
The Congress public rally to project the achievements of Azad-led government slated to be held on November 19 and the BJP’s Suraksha Sankalap Yatra on November 20 are being seen as events meant to test the strength of the two political rivals in the state.

According to the newly elected BJP President, Mr Ashok Khajuria, "the state unit of the party will organise Rashtriya Suraksha Sankalap march from November 15 to 21 as part of the BJP's national programme to protest against the soft stance adopted by the Congress-led UPA Government against militants."

He said the youth wing of the BJP had been instructed to launch a signature campaign in all districts in support of the execution of Mohd. Afzal Guru, who has been awarded death sentence for his involvement in the terrorist strike on Parliament on December 13, 2001.

After the Congress failed to muster the requisite 'support for a rally in Anantnag on Saturday, where the state government's achievements during the past one year were to be projected, the party managers have directed senior Congress leaders and legislators to galvanise their resources to make the public rally in Jammu a major success.

While the Congress leadership has plans to highlight Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad's people-oriented policies, which include war against corruption and land grabbing, the BJP, under its new leadership, has decided to target not only the Central Government but the ruling coalition in Jammu and Kashmir for "failure" to tackle Pakistan-sponsored militancy. Mr Khajuria said "we have to tell people that the government has failed to give a free hand to the security forces which had resulted in a rise in the level of violence.

Militant roughs up cops in jail

Separatist group splits

Srinagar, November 12
A senior leader of the Democratic Political Movement (DPM), a constituent of hardline faction of the Hurriyat conference, headed by Syed Ali Shah Geelani, today revolted against party Chairman Firdous Ahmad Shah and announced his sacking.

However, Shah claimed complete control over the separatist organisation and said rebel Syed Bashir Ahmad Indrabi was expelled from the party’s primary membership.

In a statement, Indrabi said he was unanimously elected as Chairman of the organisation after a meeting of the office-bearers of the organisation which was convened to discuss the “dictatorial” attitude of Shah.

The meeting decided to continue its support to Geelani’s faction of Hurriyat, the statement said. — PTI

Hizb ultra killed in gunbattle

Srinagar, November 12
A top Hizbul Mujahideen militant was killed today in a fierce gunbattle with security forces in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.

The encounter started after the police, acting on a tip-off, assisted by CRPF and Rashtriya Rifles personnel raided Hakhgund-Batakote village on the outskirts of Pahalgam this afternoon to flush out militants hiding there but were fired upon, they said. — PTI

Gold worth Rs 7.5 crore offered