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Militants change tack, go for uncommon routes Hizbul militant arrested
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Mirwaiz, other political leaders to attend conclave on Kashmir Migrant fights to get land vacated
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Militants change tack, go for uncommon routes Rajouri, May 27 In fact, the recent attempts by militants to sneak into this side of LoC in Rajouri and Poonch districts substantiate the change in their strategy. In the first such case, on May 25, a group of militants chose the "not-so-common route"of Chakla in Sunderbani tehsil of Rajouri to infiltrate to this side of the LoC. More recently, on May 26, militants tried to infiltrate through the Mankote area of Poonch district, which again is not their favourite route for infiltration. Defence sources reveal that with the melting of snow on the mountains, militants mostly used the traditional routes of Uri, Gurez and Kupwara in Kashmir to cross over to this side, but since security forces have been able to plug these routes, militants are switching over to the not-so-common routes in Rajouri and Poonch. They said the shift in strategy was due to the fact that militants were trying all new possibilities of infiltration to escape casualties. "Previously, they used the routes like Mendhar, Balnoi, Bhimber Gali, Balakote and Krishna Ghati in Poonch and Keeri, some border areas in Sunderbani and Laam Ladoka in Rajouri. But these routes were not frequently used for infiltration", said Defence sources. "The shift in their strategy can also be gauged from the fact that the militants mainly used Kupwara, Uri and Gurez for infiltration in April-May, while the routes of Poonch and Rajouri were being used in the winter months". Defence spokesperson (9,16 Corps) Col S.D.Goswami told The Tribune that with all traditional routes plugged in a big way, militants now were trying "not- so-common" routes for infiltration. "As part of their changed strategy, they are emphasising on lesser important routes for infiltration. We were expecting this was going to happen after the melting of snow in that mountains", said the spokesperson. "We are taking preventive measures and have been successful in foiling all infiltration attempts through Rajouri and Poonch sector". He said till the militant camps in PoK were intact, these types of infiltration attempts would always be tried by the militants. Last year from January to June, the number of infiltration attempts was 74, whereas the number of militants who actually crossed to this side was 35. However, this year, there have been 97 attempts, while 56 militants actually sneaked to this side. |
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Hizbul militant arrested Udhampur, May 27 The militant was active in Kishtwar, Palmar, Dachhan Marwaha and Chatroo areas since 2004, a spokesman of the police here said. On a specific information, a team of policemen raided a house near Kishtwar and apprehended Irfan, who made an abortive attempt to dodge the cops, the police said. The accused militant had confessed his involvement in a series of grenade blasts in Kishtwar, including the March 30 blast near a Kishtwar hospital in which six persons were injured, the September 24, 2006, blast at a CRPF bunker at Gudali Chowk, the July 15, 2006, blast at Hadyal Chowk in which three persons were injured and the June 18, 2006, blast at the Kishtwar bus stand in which five persons were injured, the spokesman said. He also admitted to have killed a police constable, Shanti Swaroop, at Pinjrari on March 14. The arrested militant has been sent to the Joint Interrogation Centre for further questioning. The police hopes to break through many militancy related cases after his arrest. |
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Touching 60, yet working as porter Katra (Reasi), May 27 Although his deteriorating health is not allowing him to work as porter, who carries children and luggage on a 13-km steep mountainous track from Katra to Bhawan, he is still doing the job for satisfaction as well as for his survival. “I don’t think there is any other more important job than facilitating pilgrims. Earning livelihood is an aspect but this job provides more than that”, he observed and wished to breathe his last on this track. Symbol of the Hindu-Muslim amity, Wali Mohammed is not an isolated case. Out of the total 13,263 registered ponywallas and potters, over 10,000 are Muslims who earn their livelihood by carrying pilgrims and luggages on the Katra-Bhawan track. For decades, generation after generation, Muslims from the far-flung areas of Jammu province are coming to Katra and working as porters in this most-revered Hindu shrine of the country. Families of these 10,000 Muslim porters and ponywalas, whose livelihood solely depends on this shrine, further strengthen the secular fabric of the Jammu region. “These Muslims porters are the backbone of this pilgrimage”, said a senior officer of Katra Municipal Committee, adding, “Without their help it is not possible to perform the yatra as these porters provide services like carrying of luggages, aged pilgrims on palanquins or on ponies”. Not only that, these porters even provide a quick massage to tired pilgrims and nurse the aged and the sick. “Whenever I carry a helpless pilgrim to Bhawan on palanquins, I get wishes from the core of his or her heart and it gives me satisfaction”, said Wali Mohammed. Going down the memory lane, Wali Mohammed recalled that earlier only a few thousands pilgrims used to visit the shrine, but it was in millions nowadays. “I don’t have any house in
Katra. Most of the time I spend the night on the track as it gives me feeling that I am sleeping under the shelter of Mata Vaishno Devi”. Earlier, anyone could do a porter’s job,but after the emergence of militancy and repeated attempts of terrorists to storm the holy cave, strict measures have been adopted by the authorities. The Katra Municipal Committee has issued identity cards to each porter after getting him verified from his native place. These porters have to pay a licence fee to the shrine board and renew it every year. |
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Mirwaiz, other political leaders to attend conclave on Kashmir Jammu, May 27 The conclave will be held on June 3 and 4. Many leaders of other separatist outfits and mainstream parties are expected to attend the meeting. The decision of the Hurriyat to take part in the meeting was taken at its executive committee meeting last week. A leader of the Hurriyat told this correspondent that it was principally decided that the conglomerate would participate in the Pugwash conference on Kashmir as it had attended the three previous such meetings in Kathmandu, Islamabad and Cairo. He said most probably Mirwaiz would himself go to Mumbai as he had deliberated on several ticklish issues pertaining to Kashmir imbroglio in the last meeting at Cairo. A contingent of two to three other leaders of the Hurriyat might accompany the Mirwaiz. The separatists had boycotted all the three Round Table Conferences (RTCs) on Kashmir that were so far convened by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The leftover Kashmir specific agenda of the earlier meetings in Cairo and Islamabad would be taken up at Mumbai, sources said. A meeting of Pugwash was earlier scheduled to be held at Cochi on April 22 and 23, but it was postponed because of the Prime Mnister’s RTC in New Delhi. Besides Mirwaiz Omer Farooq, JKLF chief Yasin Malik, Democratic Freedom Movemnet chief Shabbir Shah, Peoples Conference chairman Sajjad Lone and some other separatist leaders, PDF chief and minister Hakim Yaseen, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, National Conference chief Omar Abdullah and leaders of regional and mainstream political parties in the state are also on the list of invitees for the Mumbai conclave. Sajjad Lone also confirmed his participation in the meeting. The previous Kashmir specific meetings of the Pugwash discussed the issue of demilitarisation, confidence building measures (CBMs) on both sides of the LoC and carrying forward the peace process. The Pugwash initiated the Kashmir specific meetings in 2004 when one such conclave was organised in Kathmandu. Thereafter, a two-day workshop on “Prospects for self-governance in J&K and the present status of cooperation and communication across the LoC” was held in Islamabad in which some top separatists participated.
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Migrant fights to get land vacated Jammu, May 27 The file for presenting a challan against the accused, Syed Mohammad Farid, is gathering dust in the office of the SSP, Crime Branch, Jammu, for more than a year now, despite the forensic reports revealing that the culprit had prepared a forged power of attorney and agreement to grab 6 kanals and one marla land of Chaman Lal Bindroo and his wife Vijay Bindroo. Vijay, whose husband is bedridden in Delhi, has been desperately persuading the crime branch officials here to present the challan against the accused so that she could get her land vacated. “I have been to the crime branch office several times but the SSP concerned there is adamant not to proceed in the case even after it has been proved that Syed Mohammad Farid had forged the power of attorney by faking signatures of my husband,” she said. The documents in question had been sent for verification to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) in Shimla, which revealed that the same were forged and, thus, Sections 420/ 467/ 468/ 471/120-B of the Ranbir Penal Code were added to the FIR already lodged under Section 447 against Farid at the Sopore police station. Though the Crime Branch at Jammu had completed the investigations on January 25, 2006, the case was lying for approval by the higher authorities. SSP (Crime Branch), Jammu, Sunil Sharma agreed that the challan would have to be filed against the accused. “We will soon present the challan at an appropriate time, since the IG (crime) is also taking pains, looking into the matter,” the SSP said.
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