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GOC rules out Al-Qaida presence in J&K
Tackling terrorism the Azad way |
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Militants use ‘mysterious liquid’
to dissolve fence on LoC
Hari Niwas building to house CM’s residence
Residents savour musical evening after 17 years
Quake experts for old methods of house building For Bufliaz residents Mughal road means survival
SPICMACAY convention from today
Mixed response to Karan Singh’s rejection
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GOC rules out Al-Qaida presence in J&K
Udhampur, June 17 Interacting with mediapersons during the 36th foundation day function of the Northern Command, the General said some intelligence agencies had been investigating a CD of Al-Qaida which was circulated among the media some days back at Srinagar. ``We have no past record of the presence of the Al-Qaida'', he said but hastened to add what was relation of Al-Qaida with the Lashkar-e-Toiba and the Jaish-e-Mohammed in Pakistan was well known to everybody. “These outfits had been interacting and assisting each other'', he said and pointed out that war against the establishment of Afghanistan had been engineered by radical groups in Pakistan To a question Gen Panag said level of infiltration had increased marginally this year. Quoting some figures he said attempts of militants to sneak to side registered increase compared to previous year. He said in the first six months of 2006, 118 infiltration attempts were made while as this year this number touched 137. He said fencing in some parts of the Line of Control had been destroyed due to snowfall and infiltration had been on from some particular points. He, however, assured damaged fencing would be repaired by June 30. Although he refused to comment on the demand of demilitarisation being raised by some political groups in the state, General Panag made it clear that so far no troop had been withdrawn from the state. ``Decision of demilitarisation has to be taken by the state and central government'', he said, adding, ``the state government has to recommend to the Centre on this issue”. The GoC-in-C added that 45 to 50 per cent of the troops deployed in Jammu and Kashmir had been engaged in countering infiltration from across the border while 25 per cent were deployed for the security of the civilians. ``Twentyfive per cent of the total troops in Jammu and Kashmir have been engaged in ensuring supply to the deployed soldiers'', he informed. |
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Tackling terrorism the Azad way
Jammu, June 17 More than 20 top militants have surrendered before the Army and the police in the past . A team of top Israeli military officers visited here on Thursday to give lessons on tackling terrorism to security personnel as Pakistan again has started pushing in militants from launching pads. The biggest surrender came on June 5 when 10 top Harkat-ul-Mujaheedin (HUM) militants laid down arms before Azad at a ceremony at Doda district headquarters. These surrenders have broken the back of foreign terrorists operating with the support of local militants in Doda, Kishtwar, Bhaderwah and other areas of the district for the past 18 years. Doda in Jammu and the adjoining Anantnag in the Kashmir valley have remained the hotbed of terrorism. The police has also arrested several over-ground workers (OGWs), the lifeline of terrorists, as they were engaged in supplying logistics, including ammunition, rations and SIM cards of mobile phones, to them in their hideouts. While the surrenders have come from HuM and Hizbul Mujaheedin (HM), Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militants, who mostly were Pakistanis and Afghans, have refused to give up “jehad”. To create scare in the area, the LeT militants have killed relatives of local militants who surrendered before the authorities. Azad recently appointed a handpicked police officer, Manohar Singh, as SSP of Doda, with the task of cleansing the district of terrorism. Azad represents the Bhaderwah assembly segment of the district. Terrorists recently shot DSP Shailey Singh in Bhaderwah when he tried to overpower a group of foreign terrorists. Another DSP Yougal Kumar was seriously wounded when terrorists ambushed his jeep in the border town of Mendhar. However, Azad has vowed to revive peace, particularly in his home district by motivating surrenders. To lure militants Azad has made it clear that local ultras who surrender will be entitled to all benefits of the surrender policy that includes a fixed deposit of Rs 50 lakh for three years, monthly stipend of Rs 2,000, cost of the weapons surrendered and free vocational training for their rehabilitation. He has asked the security forces to be alert that the surrendered ultras do not return to terrorism after availing these benefits.
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Militants use ‘mysterious liquid’
to dissolve fence on LoC
Rajouri, June 17 Sources reveal that security forces recently recovered a "mysterious liquid" from the possession of a militant gunned down by the security forces after he had sneaked to this side in the Poonch-Rajouri sector. "The wire of the fence dissolves in the liquid whereas the wire-cutter (used frequently) can give an indication. So it becomes very handy for them to use the liquid", reliable sources said. General Officer Commanding (GOC), Ace of Spades, Major-Gen Rameshwar Roy told The Tribune that militants were trying different methods to cross over the fence. "I can't tell you whether they are using some chemical to dissolve the fence. But I must tell you that they try different methods to cross over the fence", he said. "However, our men are vigilant and have foiled all attempts of the infiltrators in our area of responsibility". Army officers may be denying the fact, but Defence sources clearly indicated in the recently held internal security group meeting (chaired by the chief secretary of the state and attended by Army officers, paramilitary forces top brass and civil administration) which is held every month, the use of this "mysterious liquid" by the infiltrators to dissolve the wire of the fence. Army officers had also informed the meeting that efforts were being made to ascertain the exact nature of the liquid, the sources added.
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Hari Niwas building to house CM’s residence Srinagar, June 17 According to the director, Estates
Department, the total sum so far spent on the renovation of the Hari Niwas building has been Rs 1 crore and the estimated cost might go up to Rs 4 crore to Rs 4.5 crore, including the amount already spent. Only the existing structure of the building, that was used as interrogation centre for many years since the eruption of militancy, is being “renovated to make it suitable for use by a person of the stature of the Chief Minister of a state”, the director stated. Former Chief Ministers Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad and Mufti Mohammad Sayeed have used guest house No. 5 on M.A Road for residential purposes, though a large amount was spent on it in 2003. However, Mufti’s successor in the coalition government, Ghulam Nabi Azad did not stay in the house. He has been staying in the J&K bank guest house in the high-security zone. The director of the Estates Department revealed that the Chief Minister’s residence on M A Road had been declared unsafe on security grounds during the tenure of Farooq Abdullah and consequently a site was selected for the construction of the Chief Minister’s house near the Hari Niwas building. The initial estimates for the construction of the independent house for the Chief Minister was approximately more than Rs 15 crore. The construction work was taken up, but subsequently abandoned because of the intervention of the state high court. In this background, the state Cabinet decided to convert the Hari Niwas building, which was being used as CID headquarters, into full-fledged Chief Minister’s residential house, guest house, private office of the Chief Minister and a Cabinet hall, the director said.
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Residents savour musical evening after 17 years
Bhaderwah, June 17 For the first time in the past 17 years such a large number of people gathered to watch a cultural programme in this militancy-plagued and communally sensitive town of Jammu and Kashmir. As there are many similarities between the culture of Himachal Pradesh and Bhaderwah, Suresh Chouhan, who is from this town, has many fans in this side of the Pahari belt also. The singer not only regaled the audience, but also tried to cement Hindu-Muslim ties in this town through cultural means. Disregarding the warning of security agencies, Suresh decided to perform in the open. As he came on the stage and sang ‘Pedian terian Neelama’,a Himachali song, the atmosphere was enlivened and the audience started swaying. Initially, there were around 500 persons gathered at the main bazaar of Bhaderwah, but as the show progressed, the number of people swelled into hundreds. Within half-an-hour people, including a large number of women and children, thronged the venue to watch the performance of the son of the soil, who is more popular in Himachal than in his own native place. The programme, which started at 5 pm, continued till midnight. SP, Bhaderwah, M. L. Mehra appeared helpless in controlling huge crowd. “It is not possible to make security arrangements for such a huge crowd'', he told The Tribune.
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Quake experts for old methods of house building Srinagar, June 17 At the end of a two-day workshop, backed by research, leading earthquake specialist and national seismic adviser Prof Anand S. Arya said Kashmir would not have suffered a loss of thousands of human lives in the 2005 earthquake if it had not abdicated the age-old and time-tested construction practice, which used wood and multiple blocks of construction to withstand the trembling of the earth. The United Nations Developmental Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), which had organised the workshop along with the state government and the Ministry of Home
Affairs, said their research in old practices like Dhajji Dewari and TAQ had revealed that these scored highly on scientific parameters to resist earthquakes and minimise damages. "Close to 80 per cent of the houses in the valley are not safe against earthquake," Professor Arya
said. The valley falls in the most vulnerable seismic zone-V, and that made it only more urgent for the government to imbibe traditional knowledge into modern construction practices. The UNDP and UNESCO also distributed their papers documenting their studies in India and abroad so that upcoming houses could take a leaf from them. "Earthquakes on bigger scales happen in Japan and other countries, but human death is minimal there," Dr Ahmed Fahmi of UNESCO said. Housing and urban development minister Qazi M. Afzal, who had inaugurated the function on Thursday, said his government would implement the ideas.
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For Bufliaz residents Mughal road means survival Bufliaz (Poonch), June 17 In fact, the 89-km-long under-construction fair weather road (from Bufliaz in Poonch district to Shopian in Kashmir), which is an alternate route to the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway No. 1A (which often remains closed due to avalanches and landslides) means survival for the poverty-stricken people. “For us, the timely completion of this road means survival. We are poor and can’t live a prosperous life, but if this road is constructed, our fate will definitely change”, said Saleem Khan, an unemployed youth, who has set up a tea stall here after the work on this road started on November 2005. “When the road gets constructed and vehicles start plying on it, business will surely increase”, he added. Residents,
a majority of whom are farmers, said once the road was completed they would be able to sell their produce in Srinagar markets. At present, they have to rely on local traders for selling their produce, who buy their crop at very low rates. “I grow maize on 20 kanals. The rates per quintal of maize here is very less, but if this road opens I can sell my produce in Kashmir where I can get good rates”, said Wali Muhammad (75), a resident of Buni Khet village, who has 14 members (including two married sons) to support.
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SPICMACAY convention from today
Jammu, June 17 Besides classical music and dance, folk performances, talks by eminent personalities in the field of art and culture, screening of films of great directors like Satyajit Ray and yoga will be part of the event, being organised to mark the 30th anniversary of SPIC MACAY. Other artistes to perform on the occasion include Pt Shiv Kumar Sharma, Guru Kutty Nair, Guru Kalamadalam Gopi, Dr M. Balamurali Krishna, Prof T N Krishnan, Prof T N Krishnan and Pt Ulhas Kashalkar. There will also be lecture demonstrations and film exhibits of Charlie Chaplin and Akira Kurosawa, besides those of Satyajit Ray. SPIC MACAY was founded in 1977 to conserve and promote awareness of cultural tapestry amongst the country's youth, with focus on classical arts with legends, rituals, mythology and philosophy. |
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Mixed response to Karan Singh’s rejection Jammu, June 17 Karan Singh was among those being considered for the top post, but his name was dropped at the initial stage. He belongs to the erstwhile ruling family of Jammu and Kashmir and was Governor of the state for several years. Panthers Party chairman Bhim Singh, in a statement here described the rejection of Karan
Singh’s Protection against quake candidature as “insult” to the Dogras. On the other hand, Thakur Randhir Singh, state chief of the Nationalist Congress Party, described the nomination of Pratibha Patil Shekhawat as a “turning point” for women empowerment.
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