Udhampur, October 30
Already facing lack of issues after its agenda was hijacked by the Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP), the formation of the district unit of the Jammu State Morcha (JSM) Progressive has added to the difficulties of the Udhampur BJP.

Although the RSS-supported JSM had announced not to contest elections, one of its factions has decided to contest the next Assembly elections on the plank of statehood for the Jammu region.

One week after its formation, the JSM (Progressive) has organised a series of public meetings demanding a separate state for Jammu. The JSM leadership in Udhampur, comprising mostly retired bureaucrats, has been airing discrimination against the Jammu region which earlier was exploited by the BJP leadership for years together to consolidate its vote bank.

Local BJP leaders blamed their party high command for indecisiveness on a stand in favour of separate statehood for the Jammu region. “On the issue of Jammu statehood we are finding it difficult to face the people,” admitted a senior BJP leader on the condition of anonymity. He added that for years together the BJP had been airing the issue of discrimination against the Jammu region, but the party leadership had failed to take a bold stand on this issue.

BJP leaders aired apprehension that if their leadership failed to take a clear stand on this issue, the party would face the situation it had faced in the 2002 Assembly elections. In the last Assembly polls, the RSS-supported JSM candidates had spoiled winning possibilities of six BJP candidates. The party had lost even the Udhampur seat considered the citadel of the BJP, as the RSS cadre had openly supported the JSM candidate.

Some retired bureaucrats of Udhampur have constituted the district unit the JSM to intensify the struggle for a separate statehood for the Jammu region. SSP Sewa Singh Mankotia (retd) was elected president of the JSM (Progressive) while Prof O. P. Kailu and Dr B L Sharma conveners of the party.

On joining the JSM, the retired bureaucrats alleged that since 1947 successive state governments had been meting out step-motherly treatment to Jammu. They said it was high time to start a movement for a separate Jammu state as justice under the present dispensation was not possible. They gave instances of discrimination against the Jammu region and resolved to intensify their stir for a separate political identity for this region. 

Udhampur, October 30
One more Hizbul Mujahideen militant today surrendered before the security forces. The militant, who laid down arms before Rashtriya Rifles, was said to be involved in attacking the cavalcade of a senior politician in which four persons, including one deputy superintendent of police (DSP) were killed.

Yesterday Hizbul Mujahdeen militant Khadim Hussain code name Junaid laid down arms in Reasi. Today's was the second surrender in past 24 hours in Jammu region.

Sources said Hizbul militant Mohammed Abbas alias Hashim son of Mohammed Afzal of Sidde village, of Chatroo tehsil laid down arms before the Army at Kishtwar. One AK 47 riffle, 90 rounds and other ammunitions were recovered from the possession of the surrendered militant.

Reports said Hasim was involved in attacking the procession of Lok Sabha member at Chatroo in 2005. He was apprehended but released due to unavailability of sufficient proof against him. After release from the custody he again indulged in militancy and executed some incidents in Kishtwar district.

Jammu, October 30
There has been a major shift in perception regarding the resolution of Kashmir problem in Pakistan and the Kashmir valley. If the consensus emerging from the 57th Pugwash conference, is an indication there is hope for long-term peace in Kashmir as all parties involved are trying to move away from the archetypal stated positions and fossilised mindsets.

The 57th Pugwash conference was held from October 22 to 26 in Bari, a city in Italy. Pugwash is a non-governmental organisation working for peace in the conflict zones, besides seeking total disarmament. It was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1995.

According to Prof Nirmal Singh, a member of the national executive committee of the Bharatiya Janata Party and former state party president, who attended the conference, the participants from Kashmir and Pakistan, probably for the first time deviated from their stated positions. For the first time there was no talk of ‘azadi’, right to self-determination or the United Nations resolutions.

While from India, the participants besides Nirmal Singh, included Prof Amitabh Mattoo, vice-chancellor of Jammu University and also governing council member of Pugwash and G. Parthasarthy, former Indian ambassador to Pakistan. Prominent among those who participated from Pakistan included Najamudin Sheikh, a former Pakistan ambassador to India and Lt-Gen Talat Masood (retd).

Maulvi Iftikhar Hussein Ansari, a former minister in Jammu and Kashmir government, and Sajjad Lone, son of separatist leader Abdul Gani Lone, also participated in the conference.

Nirmal Singh disclosed that the Pakistanis and the separatists were reconciled to the fact the borders could not be redrawn and they had to accept what was available within the existing dispensation. "Irrelevance of borders was one of the consensual points emerging in the conference," he said, adding greater contact between people on two sides of the Line of Actual Control was supported by everyone at the conference.

Srinagar, October 30
At a public information campaign yesterday at Budgam, officials and public representatives, led by Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, briefed people about social sector schemes of the Central government in the valley.

Azad said the Centre had given money to the state to give a new impetus to infrastructure and industries and create employment. He asked people to be aware of their rights and approach government officers to have their due share in development programmes.

The Press Information Bureau,which had organised the event, said the event was part of a campaign launched across the country to educate the targeted beneficiaries, especially in rural areas.

Several organisations, including public corporations, NGOs, besides government bodies, had put up stalls at the function to inform local people.

Officials briefed people about schemes like Bharat Nirman, the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, the National Rural Health Mission, the Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan among others. They asked local people,particularly village nambardars, to report to the authorities if they found any discrepancies in the developmental schemes being run in their areas. "We want to empower you about your rights. If you are empowered, then the officials will have to work to the best of their abilities and chances of malpractices are minimised," Azad said.