Gigrial (LoC), November 8
As the guns from across the border have fallen silent, the Indian army has taken up the uphill task to clear the minefield that was set in the Chhamb sector of the Line of Control.

The Army is engaged in demining the fields in the region to facilitate the residents to grow crops on the land.

Army tanks deployed to de-mine fields at Gigrial village in the Chhamb sector along the LoC on Wednesday. — A Tribune photo by Anand Sharma

During the Kargil conflict and the operation Parakram, entire area along with the LoC was mined with anti-tank and anti-personnel mines, but now as the guns from both sides have fallen silent, the Army is de-mining the area. As much as 28,000 hectares was mined which directly affected 6072 families of 21 villages in the area.

“We have always been on the receiving end, we had to vacate our land in 1965 and 1971 and now since 1999 we are not being allowed to enter our fields to start cultivation,” said Charan Das, former sarpanch of Gigrial village.

Residents of the area, who mostly depend on agriculture for their livelihood, say, “This time we told the government that if it did not de-mine our land, it should allow us to cultivate the land as we are ready to die in a mine blast rather than by starving,” said Pathan Singh, sarpanch of Pangali village.

“This sector is very sensitive and very strategically located as it is the only area along the entire Line of Control in the region which is easily accessible by both armies. Pakistan launched its attacks on India in 1965 and 1971 from here,” said an army officer.

But now, the farmers in the region have been shown a ray of hope. The Army has deployed three tanks to de-mine the area.

“It will take us three or four months to de-mine the area,” said an army officer.

Speaking to The Tribune, speaker of the legislative assembly Tara Chand who represents the Akhnoor constituency said, “It was a long-pending demand of the residents of the area who mainly depend on agriculture that their land be vacated as they were starving since the central government stopped the relief which was given to them in lieu of their land.”

Srinagar, November 8
Jammu and Kashmir government has decided to review cases of over 250 applicants pending for intelligence clearance for Haj pilgrimage and allow those not found directly involved in militancy.

Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad stated this while inaugurating the Haj House here today, three days ahead of Haj flights from Jammu. Azad said he had asked the inspector-general of police, CID (Criminal Investigation Department) to look into all the cases and disallow only those involved in militancy. Anyone whose relatives were at any time involved in militancy would not be stopped from Haj pilgrimage, Azad said.

He clarified the reports that over 60,000 persons had been disallowed to proceed on Haj, saying total number of pilgrims from Jammu and Kashmir this year was only 8130.

National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah asked the government not to stop the parents or close relatives of militants from Haj. 

Jammu, November 8
Misuse of Press stickers on vehicles is rampant. Almost one in every three vehicles has “Press” written on its windscreen and number plates.

Law-enforcing agencies in the region have turned silent spectators to the misuse of this Press privilege. Journalists in the Jammu region are also concerned about the gross misuse of the stickers on vehicles by people not associated with the media.

“The people associated with the media are reluctant to have Press stickers on their vehicles as everybody in the town uses a Press sticker on his vehicle,” said a senior journalist here. He added, “We took up the issue a couple of times with law-enforcing agencies, but to no avail.”

To check the growing misuse of these stickers, the Information Department of the state earlier issued Press labels to the journalists accredited with the government.

Many working journalists in the region blame the Information Department for the mess. “The rules and formalities for getting accreditation are so stringent that journalists with many years of experience don’t apply for it, so they don’t get the specially made Press stickers,” said a journalist working for a national daily here.