Jammu/ Srinagar, January 27
Ignoring the call for a strike given by separatists and various terrorist organizations, an unprecedented number of people, including women and children, thronged Maulana Azad Memorial Stadium here to witness the Republic Day parade. The Governor, Lt Gen S.K. Sinha (retd), after unfurling the National Flag, rejected Gen Pervez Musharraf's proposals of de-militarisation, joint control and the self-rule in Kashmir.

This was perhaps for the first time after the serial blasts that claimed nine lives and the then Governor K.V. Krishnarao having a miraculous escape during the Republic Day celebrations in the stadium in 1996 that such a large crowd turned out to attend the function. The stadium with an estimated capacity of 75,000 was jam-packed although a multi-security ring had been thrown around the city. The Army sharp shooters had taken positions on the flyover near the stadium.

Reports of the day being celebrated with fervor in other districts of Jammu have also been received although a bandh was observed in the Valley.

The Chief minister, Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad, his wife, Mrs Shamima Azad, ministers, the Chief Justice of the High Court, Mr Bashir Ahmad Khan, and senior Army and civil officers were present on the occasion.

The Governor asserted that Jammu and Kashmir was enjoying more self-rule than any other constituent state or the region of any democracy in the world and hoped that this model would be emulated and introduced across the border in the Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (Pock) and the Northern Area.

He said General Musharraf and some leaders in Kashmir had been vouching for self-rule in Kashmir ignoring that the state, as a shinning part of the Third World's vibrant democracy, enjoys both political and economic self-rule in a big measure.

General Sinha reiterated that demilitarization could be considered only after cessation of the cross border terrorism and violence in the state. He hoped that Pakistan would dismantle the terrorist infrastructure in the Pock and stop assisting terrorists. He said a few leaders in the state were voicing this demand also, notwithstanding the fact that the people living in border areas think differently. They want the Army to stay and continue helping them in the hour of peace and war.

He said several roads reopened across the LoC had been a boon for divided families and urged Pakistan to reopen the Kargil-Skardu road soon. Meanwhile, the Republic Day celebrations across the valley and the Leach region passed off peacefully. Even as tight security arrangements were in place, a top Hizbul Mujahideen militant was killed in an encounter with the police and the security forces in Anantnag district, while one person was kidnapped from his house in the Pattan area of Baramula district yesterday.

The Minister for Agriculture, Mr Abdul Aziz Zargar, unfurled the Tricolor and took salute of the march past at Bakshi Stadium here. The PCC chief and Minister for Education, Perzada Mohammad Sayeed, in his Republic Day address at Anantnag said the democracy, socialism and secularism were deep rooted in the country and much progress had been registered in various sectors.

The Finance Minister and senior PDP leader, Tariq Hameed Karra, in his address at Baramula asked the youth to come forward and represent states’ young population on the democratic platforms, as the state was at the cross roads of a historic opportunity for peace and prosperity. The Republic Day was celebrated with enthusiasm and gaiety at the Leh.

Jammu, January 27
PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti today asked Pervez Musharraf to set an example by first practising his own proposal of self-rule in the Pakistan-occupied areas of Kashmir (PoK).

Mehbooba, who was informally talking to mediapersons here, said Musharraf should guarantee self-rule to the people of PoK as those on the Indian side were already enjoying a lot of democratic rights.

She said, “The PDP has not borrowed the idea of self-rule from Musharraf, but it was "I" who first mooted the proposal.” She said by self-rule she meant political, administrative and economic empowerment of the people to deal with internal problems and relations with Delhi.

She said the PDP had suggested to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that the elected legislators of Jammu and Kashmir and PoK should be allowed to visit either side of the Line of Control (LoC) to enable them to have interaction with the people. This could lead to more friendly relations between India and Pakistan, she maintained.

In an obvious reference to the yesterday’s rejection of the four-point peace formula of Musharraf by Governor S.K. Sinha, she said joint investment in tourism, agriculture, hydro power and other related fields would not undermine the sovereignty of the country.

She said joint committees could be set up by the two countries for that purpose.

She said the currency of India and Pakistan should be allowed to be used on both sides of Kashmir and the J&K Bank should open a branch in PoK.

She said an atmosphere had been created for making the borders irrelevant as Pakistan had for the first time accepted that plebiscite was not practicable. Such thinking might enable unification of Jammu and Kashmir without changing the boundaries.

Jammu, January 27
Professor Amitabh Mattoo, Vice Chancellor of the University of Jammu, has been elected to the International Council of Pugwash which is the highest decision making body of the Nobel-peace prize winning NGO. The composition of the 22-member council has representation from the US, Europe, Russia, China, Japan and Latin America.

Prof Mattoo is a leading thinker and writer of India on international relations. Prof. Mattoo became the youngest Vice Chancellor of the University of Jammu in November 2002. He did his doctorate in International Relations from the University of Oxford, United Kingdom and was selected for the Indian Police Service in 1988 but preferred a career in academics. During his tenure as VC of Jammu University, the institution emerged as a centre of academic and extra-curricular excellence as well as a think tank on major policy issues.

Professor Mattoo has been a member of the National Security Advisory Board and the Prime Minister’s Task Force on Global Strategic Developments. He was professor of disarmament studies in the School of International Studies, JNU, New Delhi.

Mr Mattoo played key role in the Kashmir specific conferences organised recently by the Pugwash at Islamabad and Cairo. Several separatists and leaders of the mainstream parties of Kashmir also participated in these conferences that were aimed at finding a solution to the turmoil.

The Pugwash Conferences take their name from the location of first meeting which was held in 1957 in the village of Pugwash, Nova Scotia, Canada, at the instance of philosopher Bertrand Russell and scientist Albert Einstein. The purpose of the Pugwash Conferences is to bring together from around the world scholars and public figures concerned with reducing the danger of armed conflict and seeking solutions for global problems. Pugwash participants exchange views and explore substitutes to arms control and tension reduction with candour, continuity, and flexibility. Pugwash was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in1995, for its efforts to diminish nuclear arms role in international politics and in the longer run to eliminate such arms.

Jammu, January 27
The Chief Minister, Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad, said today that all 40 persons arrested by the security forces on the charges of throwing grenades on tourists in the Kashmir valley were locals and not a single belonged to Himachal Pradesh.

Mr Azad was replying to supplementaries on the issue during the question hour in the Legislative Assembly. He said 15 tourists were killed and 61 injured in 10 terrorist-related incidents last year.

Describing such incidents as most unfortunate, he said the people had started coming out to provide clues regarding the grenade-throwing incidents. The government would give a reward of Rs 1 lakh each to them for providing clues that lead to the miscreants’ arrest.

Mr Azad was replying to a volley of supplementaries raised by the Leader of the Opposition, Mr A.R. Rather, Dr Mehboob Baig, Mr Ali Mohammad Sagar, Mr Usman Majid and various other Opposition members while intervening during a question raised in the House to this effect. Mr Yogesh Sawhney of the Congress tabled the main question.

While replying to Mr Baig's queries about the arrest of a few persons from Himachal Pradesh, allegedly involved in the grenade throwing on tourists, the Chief Minister said all arrested youths were locals and no one was from outside the state. Mr Majid wanted to know why the police released one of the arrested boys within three months.

The Minister for Tourism, Mr Dilawar Mir, while replying to the main question of Mr Sawhney informed the House that more than 6.05 lakh tourists, both domestic and foreign, visited the state during 2005 whereas 38,496 tourists visited Ladakh.

He said during 2006 over 4.12 lakh domestic tourists and over 20,000 foreigners visited the state, while over 43,000 tourists went to Ladakh.

He said a wrong massage was being passed that there was any threat to tourists visiting the state. He said the government had taken every precaution to provide foolproof security to the tourists.

Mr Azad said a modern tourist reception centre along with inter-state bus terminal would be constructed near Nowgam. With the coming up of an international airport and a rail network in the valley the existing site for constructing a modern tourist reception centre with all facilities was not possible.