Srinagar, January 5
Demonstrations were held and life was affected across the Kashmir valley today following a general strike in protest against the execution of former Iraqi president, Saddam Hussein, who was hanged on Saturday last. More than 70 persons including 12 policemen were injured while 20 vehicles damaged in stone-throwing and other incidents here and other places in the valley. At least 12 policemen, including Station House Officer of Safakadal Police station here Showkat Ahmad Bukhari, were injured in pitched battles with demonstrators.

The police lobbed teargas shells and fired into the air in downtown here following demonstrations against the execution of Saddam. Demonstrators raising anti-Bush and anti-Blair slogans and burning US President, George W. Bush’s effigy marked demonstrations across the city here. The demonstrations began in the Maisuma locality in the central Lal Chowk area this morning forcing the shopkeepers to put up the shutters for the second consecutive day today. There was thin attendance in the banks and other business establishments due to demonstrations disrupting traffic on many routes across the city.

Fearing damage at the hands of demonstrators like yesterday when several passenger vehicles were attacked and passengers injured, many people preferred to remain indoors today. Traffic was disrupted on most routes leading to the interior city parts, reports said. Demonstrators indulged in stone-throwing on the police and passing vehicles in the Nowhatta area around the main mosque, Jamia Masjid, forcing the police to resort to cane charge. The police also lobbed teargas shells and fired into the area to quell demonstrators.

A shutdown and demonstrations were also held in other major towns of Anantnag, Qazigund, Pulwama, Pakharpora, Chrar-e-Sharief, Sopore, Kupwara and Bandipore.

Jammu, January 5
Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad's "U-turn" on joint management of resources of Jammu and Kashmir by India and Pakistan has not only surprised political observers, but also indicates that the proposal of "self-rule" is being discussed at the back-channel peace talks between interlocutors of the two countries.

Mr Azad, who had earlier rejected the proposal for joint control, demilitarisation and self-rule, has sprung a surprise by stating that India and Pakistan can make some headway on the Kashmir issue by working out a plan on "joint management" of trade, tourism and water resources in the two parts of J and K.

The Chief Minister's statement shortly before the Pakistan visit of Mr Pranab Mukherjee, External Affairs Minister, is significant as it comes after his meeting with the Prime Minister and Mr Mukherjee at Delhi.

The main Opposition party, National Conference (NC), has appreciated the change in stand of Mr Azad. The NC leader in the Assembly, Mr Abdul Rahim Rather, told this correspondent here today that the shift in stand indicated that things were moving in the right direction between the two countries.

On the other hand, the BJP leader, Prof Hari Om, described Mr Azad’s statement as a "sellout" by the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre.

Observers here point out that having ridiculed PDP leader Mufti Sayeed's proposal of self-rule, Mr Azad has now chosen the same line to forge peace in the trouble-torn state. The Congress leadership in the state had been speaking against the demand of the PDP.

Kashmir-based parties, including the PDP and the NC, have been demanding demilitarisation of Kashmir. However, on the other issue, the PDP has been harping on self-rule, while the NC wants autonomy for the state.

The Hurriyat Conference favours a discussion on Gen Pervez Musharraf's idea of self-governance, demilitarisation and joint management.

The NC chief, Mr Omar Abdullah, Hurriyat leader Prof Abdul Gani Bhat, J and K Liberation Front leader Yasin Malik, CPM MLA Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami, PDP leader Ansari and the Vice-Chancellor of Jammu University, Prof Amitabh Mattoo, were among those who participated in the meeting that was convened by PUGWASH to discuss prospects of self-governance in Jammu and Kashmir.

Another meeting of the PUGWASH was recently held at Cairo in which a special session on the peace process in Kashmir was held.

Srinagar, January 5
Separatist Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has demanded right to self-determination to the people of Jammu and Kashmir in accordance with the UN resolution of January 
5, 1949.

Addressing a Friday congregation at the historic Jamia Masjid here today, the Mirwaiz expressed concern over the approach of the UN, which had not fulfilled its promise even after 58 years. The day was observed on either side of the LoC with a resolve to "continue the struggle for grant of right to self-determination" to the people of the state, he said.

The chairman of the moderate faction of the APHC said it had written a letter to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in this regard. He said the delay in fulfilling its promise to the people of Jammu and Kashmir had not only led to further dilution of political rights, but also given a setback to human rights in the region. 

Jammu, January 5
In a bid to regain its stronghold, the J and K unit of the BJP at its first meeting of the reconstituted working committee here tomorrow plans to move a resolution seeking creation of Jammu as a separate state.

Sources in the BJP said the issue would be first discussed in length at the meeting of state office-bearers in the morning and in the evening a resolution would be moved at the working committee meeting in which a senior party leader, Mr Parkash Javadkar, would be present as a central party observer.

The BJP would also support the demand for granting union territory status to Ladakh, leaving the Kashmir valley alone.

The BJP had earlier shunned the demand for reorganisation of J and K. However, the RSS continued to support the demand as a result of which the BJP faced humiliation during the 2002 Assembly elections when its strength in the House was reduced to one from eight.

It is learnt that the newly elected state president of the party, Mr Ashok Khajuria, decided to take up the issue in a bid to bring back those leaders who had split the BJP and formed a separate Jammu State Morcha (JSM) with the blessings of the RSS.

Although two senior leaders of the JSM have been included as members of the working committee of the BJP, they refused to merge the morcha with the BJP until it endorsed their demand for statehood.

The local BJP, JSM and RSS leadership has been accusing the Centre of being Kashmir-centric and ignoring the aspirations of the Jammu region. — TNS