Srinagar, December 17
The separatist Kashmir Salvation Movement (KSM) today held a protest demonstration against the alleged violation of human rights by the police and security forces in the Kashmir valley.

The protesters held eggs in their hands symbolising the “zero performance” of the government. “Zero zero… equal to zero”, were the slogans that reverberated on the Residency Road this afternoon. The protesters complained about the alleged human rights violations and blamed security forces for the continued excesses on the masses and harassment meted out to innocent people.

Today's protest demonstration came after two persons were killed in separate incidents by the police. While one person was killed in Magam in Budgam district, another was killed at Kukroosa in Kupwara district of north Kashmir.

Angry protesters at Magam and Kukroosa held protest meetings against the police action. Meanwhile, the authorities have expressed reservations over the incidents and stated that the police was out to serve the masses.

Two days ago, the mainstream opposition National Conference leaders staged a similar rally against the alleged human rights violations and blamed the coalition government for it. The National Conference, which has the largest number of seats in the Legislative Assembly, also blamed the government for not fulfilling the promises made by the coalition government to the people of Jammu and Kashmir over the past five years.

The National Conference protest was led by its party leader and former minister A.R. Rather, and provincial president and MLA, Mehboob Beigh, besides other MLAs and former ministers.

What has come to the fore is that people in these areas have expressed their doubts over the working of the police even as security forces continued strict vigil against suspected militants.

Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad recently stated that there had been no custodial killings during the first 10 months this year, but the opposition National Conference and the separatist organisations have united against the coalition government on the rights issue. 

Jammu, December 17
After sustaining defeat in the Poonch-Haveli Assembly by-poll, former Chief Minister and National Conference patron Dr Farooq Abdullah has accused the Congress of pumping money to change the course in its favour.

Farooq, who candidly accepted the defeat, said, “By and large, both the National Conference and the Congress remained victims of dissension in this by-poll. Party president Omar Abdullah and senior leaders will ascertain the cause of our defeat.”

“Its time to conduct the postmortem and the process would start tomorrow. We want to know the reasons responsible for our defeat. Whether leadership had gone astray or were there other factors, they will be identified,” Farooq said.

Farooq was answering media queries at the residence of former minister and senior party leader Harbans Singh. Later, he also addressed a gathering of party workers.

Responding to a query, he said, “Being a big party, the Congress has enough money. Money and muscle power have always been used against the National Conference. This time, too, the Congress pumped money in this by-poll.”

He, however, rubbished the claim that had the party fielded MLC Bashir Ahmed Naz, the National Conference would have won.

“People cast votes to party symbols and not to individuals, so I don’t think things would have been different had we given the party mandate to Naz,” Farooq said.

Farooq, however, admitted that the Poonch-Haveli defeat would certainly have a bearing on the National Conference in the next Assembly elections in 2008.

“I am not dejected by the defeat. Life has to go on and we will keep fighting,” he said.

“We have started declaring candidates for the next Assembly elections from Jammu region and have declared Radhey Shyam Sharma from Nowshera,” Farooq said.

“However, things are different in Kashmir. We can not declare our candidates early because they might get killed,” he said.

On the new found bonhomie between the People’s Democratic Party and the Congress - the two ruling alliance partners in the state, he remarked, “Certainly they will try to keep us at bay in the next elections but we will fight.”

Reacting to the Magam incident, where a youth was killed in police firing, Farooq said it was an act of high-handedness. “You will come across many such incidents as the elections are approaching nearer,” he said, adding “This government is exposed.”

Farooq anticipated a third front at the Centre and said, “On the 123 Deal, the Leftists have kept the UPA government at tenterhooks and they may also become part of the Third Front.”

Jammu, December 17
Former Chief Secretary and National Conference leader Vijay Bakaya today claimed that the National Conference could only lead the state towards peace and prosperity.

Addressing a gathering of Kashmiri Pandits here today he said, “The party leadership has a vision and is internationally recognised as the most articulate voice of the state.”

He asked Kashmiri Pandits to political identify themselves by uniting and casting their vote in large numbers in the ensuing assembly elections to the party.

The other speakers demanded comprehensive solution to the unemployment problem which, they said, was of urgent nature for the youth of the community.

They also urged the government to construct lanes and drains in Sarswati Vihar.

Participants from the community expressed their confidence in Bakaya’s ability to provide representation to the community and assured that they would strengthen him and the NC in next elections.

Among others who spoke on the occasion included Ashok Hangloo, Moti Lal Bhat, M.K Bhat, N L Raina, Ram Ji Pandita and Ashok Tickoo.

Udhampur, December 17
Close on the heels of the recommendations of the Kundal Committee to sack two senior officers of the Forest Department for committing irregularities, some more officers of the same department, who had served at Doda district in different capacities, are likely to face action as the state accountability commissioner has initiated an inquiry in another case of looting the "green gold".

Excessive payment worth lakhs were made to some influential contractors of Doda district by the officers of the State Forest Corporation (SFC) from time to time, which resulted in huge loss to the public exchequer.

The officers, who were at the helm of the affairs in the Forest Department at time of these bungling, have been shifting responsibilities on each other. Hence, the commission has decided to utilise services of police officer of the rank of Deputy Inspector General (DIG) to thoroughly investigate the scandal and single out officers who were allegedly hand in glove with the contractors.

The Accountability Commission has initiated an inquiry, following complaints of Balkrishan of Doda, through advocate Rameshwar Singh Jamwal. The complainant has also made 12 officers of the department as party for their alleged involvement in making excessive payments to the influential contractors. The complainant alleged that some contractors with political connections had exerted their influence and hatched a criminal conspiracy with the officers of the department and administration for getting undue benefits at the cost of the state exchequer.

Although officers of the department were tightlipped over the scam, sources disclosed that through initial investigation it was established that excessive payment worth Rs 34 lakh were made fraudulently to the contractors. Not only excessive payments were made, lakhs of rupees were also swindled in operations of extraction works in different forest compartments in various forest divisions.

Audit report of the SFC Kishtwar East division, which was earlier part of Doda district, stated the department has suffered due to these misdeeds. It has been pointed out in the report that work schedules as per work order/agreement were rarely honoured. "Instead of blacklisting the contractors, extensions over extensions were given to them and in some cases rates were also enhanced to oblige the defaulter contractors," said the report.

Quoting audit report, counsel Rameshwar Singh said that swindling of funds had already been established. Singh said that petition was filed on behalf of the people of Doda.

Jammu, December 17
Jammu city is believed to have the highest density of traffic after Tokyo, capital of Japan, but when it comes to the implementation of the traffic rules, the city stands nowhere.

The drivers in Jammu city feel there are virtually no traffic rules for them. The rules floated by the traffic department are violated every now and then, creating problems for the commuters and the pedestrians.

Overloading of vehicles and using high-pitch stereo players inside the passenger vehicles, despite a ban on the use of any type of music system inside such vehicles, are common practice and creates problems for the people.

“The volume of these music systems is so high that it becomes irritating to sit inside the vehicle. One cannot even attend a phone call as the music literally makes a person deaf,” said Sarojni Verma a resident of Talab Tilo area of Jammu. “When they see a traffic police personnel, they switch off the music player and switch it on when they pass them,” she added.

“These matador operators overstuff the vehicles as if we are animals, and when we object, the conductors respond rudely,” said Girdhari Lal, a resident of Gandhi Nagar locality of Jammu.

The matador and minibus driver in the city compete with each other for passengers, thus they don’t obey any speed restrictions, therefore, putting the life of commuters and pedestrian to risk.

“They don’t drive, they tend to fly. They risk the lives of people both inside the vehicle and outside,” said one of the passengers in a matador. The police personnel deployed to maintain rules lack sophisticated equipments to monitor the speed limit of these vehicles.

A few drivers told The Tribune, “We have fixed the amount of ‘entry’ (bribe) with the traffic police personnel. When they catch a driver violating traffic rules, they just demand for money.”

Sources say that majority of the commercial (read passenger) vehicles plying on city roads don’t posses valid papers.

“Majority of the passenger vehicles in the city, don’t have valid papers and there is nobody to ask them,” a source in the traffic police department told The Tribune. However, the department blames the shortage of staff for their failure to monitor law-violating activities.

“No doubt there are violations of traffic rules, but we have a limited number of personnel in our department, therefore, we are unable to monitor all the areas in the city,” said SSP (traffic) S.A. Watali. 

Majalata (Udhampur), December 17
As its pro-Jammu agenda has been “hijacked” by the Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP), the BJP has hinted an aggressive posture to save its eroding vote bank, especially in Udhampur, and adjoining localities.

The BJP today organised a workers’ meeting at Dhema village of Ramnagar constituency to rejuvenate the party cadre in this Kandi belt.

Today's meeting was significant as during the Assembly election in 2002, the party failed to secure victory despite the fact that Ramnagar was once considered the citadel of the erstwhile Jan Sangh. The party had also lost its safest seat of Udhampur.

The BJP leaders said the party would not hesitate to take up regional and religious issues to strengthen its base. Former Union minister, Prof Chaman Lal Gupta, state BJP president Ashok Khajuria and party's lone MLA Jugal Kishore minced no words in exploiting issues like the alleged discrimination and step-motherly treatment being meted out to the region.

Khajuria exhorted the party workers to throw out parties like the National Conference (NC), the Peoples’ Democratic Party and the Congress from Jammu. As the party faced a tough challenge from the Panthers’ Party in the belt, the BJP leaders attacked Bhim Singh's party for “befooling” the people of Jammu and charged him for ignoring the interests of Dogras.

Prof Gupta alleged that in the last Lok Sabha elections, Bhim Singh had joined the electoral fray on the advice of the Congress leadership.

Khajuria alleged that “Mufti-Farooq-Azad” trio had exploited people of the state and it was due to them that Jammu had been neglected in every sphere of life.

Magam, December 17
As you walk through the lanes of Magam, littered with window glasses broken by stone-pelting cops and bricks thrown by furious residents, the most people say is that they were after all agitating for a degree college, not for some separatist cause, which the police is used to meet with show of force if needed.

After two days of clashes between crowd and the police, on Saturday people went on a rampage when they regrouped after being fired upon by cops and on Sunday more prepared cops gave it back to them, a semblance of peace has returned to town but issues remain. "Doesn't democracy allow us to protest and make authorities more accountable? If it had been any other place in India, action would have been taken against guilty officials. Here the government believes what else we can do after making noise for a few days," said Md Afzal, brother of Zahoor (22), killed in police firing on Saturday and leaving behind his widow and a two-month old son.

The police station in charge Hasib Khan is the main culprit in public eye as he was the one, they allege, who first fired without resorting to standard anti-riot practices of using water cannon and tear shells. With locals united in denying police version that their early violence forced them to fire and authorities sticking to their charges, the truth is hard to find.

An enquiry from the local CRPF unit, who reached the spot only after the police fired, makes, however, one thing clear. The police was ill-prepared to deal with the agitation. "When we reached, there were not more than 30 to 40 policemen to control the crowd of hundreds. I believe they panicked and fired at the first sign of trouble," a CRPF official told The Tribune. But he admitted that the crowd was restrained with them and confined its anger against cops for firing.

Some cops, now deployed in the area with much bigger strength, said over a dozen of their colleagues were still nursing their wounds which they received from the crowd. People allege that cops led by their SHO bashed up one and all, including women, in the locality yesterday. "Their stones fell on my arm. When I cried they kicked me," Asifa said while showing her plaster.

Incidentally, a degree collage has long been Magam's demand and the youth have to go to a college in Srinagar, which takes two hours, for study after completing higher secondary. "Ours is a Shia locality and we believe that's why we are being denied the college despite leaders promising it time and again" Irfan, a resident of Hanjibara locality, said. The people took to roads after a cabinet decision according approval for several degree colleges across the state had Magam missing from the list. 

Srinagar, December 17
Hundreds of residents of Chrar-e-Sharief region in the state today came out on the streets, demanding setting up of a degree college in Budgam town.

The state Cabinet had on December 14 given the go-ahead for 18 new degree colleges, including two for women. But Budgam was left behind. The protesters raised slogans against the government claiming that the long-pending demand for a degree college in Chrar-e-Sharief had been ignored due to party politics.

“Just because the local MLA is from the National Conference does not mean that the government will ignore the merits or our demand,” a local youth rued.

Residents of Magam today observed a complete shutdown against the alleged high-handedness of the police against the protesters.

The residents threatened to go on an indefinite strike if the government failed to meet their demands.

This is the second incident of protest in three days in Budgam against the government’s decision of not setting up a degree college here.

One person was killed and 25 others, including a policeman, were injured on Saturday as the police opened fire to disperse an agitating group which torched two vehicles in Magam.

The district administration had ordered an inquiry into the incident. — PTI

Srinagar, December 17
Rejecting Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf's four-point formula on Kashmir, Hizbul Mujahideen supremo Syed Salahuddin has shown readiness to support the "Irish-type solution" for the state provided India accepts it as a disputed territory.

" The Mujahideen leadership is ready to support the Irish-type solution for Kashmir provided India accepts Kashmir as a disputed territory", he said.

"The Irish model would be a first step to resolve the 60-year-old Kashmir problem in a phased manner", Salahuddin, who also heads PoK-based United Jehad Council, told a local agency Current News Service (CNS) in a telephonic interview.

Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom, has its own form of devolved government. Its legal system is also separate from the jurisdiction of England, Wales or Scotland.

Rejecting Musharraf's four-point formula on Kashmir, which included demilitarisation, self-rule, soft borders and joint management of natural resources of Indian and Pakistani Kashmirs, Salahuddin said it had created "doubts" in the minds of Kashmiris. "The real meaning of the formula has not been explained so far", he said.

Stating that different parties were portraying the idea, supported by Hurriyat Conference, in different ways, Salahuddin said "Mehbooba Mufti (PDP president) portrays it for her own interests while others do it for their own".

The Hijbul chief also rejected elections as a solution to the issue. "Polls held under the Indian constitution is not a solution to the problem and those who participate in such an exercise were betraying the blood of thousands of martyrs who sacrificed their lives for freedom movement", he said. Salahuddin said the United Nations resolution is the only solution to Kashmir problem.

Terming the ongoing peace process between India and Pakistan as a "futile exercise", the Hijbul chief said the breakthrough which Musharraf had expected from dialogue with India had not been achieved. — PTI 

Udhampur, December 17
Coming down heavily on the state government for its alleged failure to provide infrastructure to the existing industries, president of the Industrialists Forum, Udhampur, said instead of encouraging investment in the district, the authorities concerned had been non-cooperative.

Addressing a press conference at Udhampur today, president of the forum, Darshan Kumar Mehra listed the problems faced by industrialists due to the non-availability of basic necessities like power and water supply in Battal Ballian industrial estate.

He said the industrial estate had 35 units. The industry had been badly affected due to the non-availability of power in the industrial estate, Mehra added.

Furthermore, he said in the early 1980s, 1,050 kanals had been identified by the state government for the establishment of an industrial area in the district. “Only the land was identified. Neither infrastructure nor other facilities have been provided till date”, he rued, adding, “Out of the total identified land, 100 kanals has been already allotted to the displaced Kashmiri people.”

Highlighting other problems, Mehra said the industrial estate in Udhampur had not been developed as the authorities concerned did not initiate steps to develop it. He said only one phase of the area had been developed but that, too, lacked streetlights.

The industrialists also flayed the authorities concerned for not opening banks and post-offices in the industrial estate. 

Jammu, December 17
Director General of Police Kuldeep Khoda has called upon the J&K police force to achieve excellence as a capable, disciplined and people-friendly force. “Personal dynamism, professional skill and bravery are important ingredients to achieve this goal," he said.

Inaugurating the state-level ‘7th Annual Commandants Conference-2007’ of Jammu and Kashmir armed police at its headquarter here this morning, Khoda said that jawans and officers of Jammu and Kashmir armed police’s role as front runner in anti-insurgency operations was commendable. "You have rendered stupendous service to save life and prosperity of people," he said. "Organisational capability of armed police has grown over the years and will continue to grow in strength and stature," he added.

The armed component of Jammu and Kashmir police comprises 25 armed/IR battalions, including 11 armed and 14 IRP battalions with 24,863 personnel.

Khoda said that 10 battalions of armed and IR were deployed for operations in the counter-insurgency grid in remote and rural areas of the state. Besides, 735 officers and jawans were deployed exclusively with operational components. He said while doing the onerous task of taking the terrorists head-on builds constant operational pressure, police force was also enabling protection of human rights and minimising the collateral damage during the operations. 

Jammu, December 17
Jigmat, an VIII standard student of Loyala High School in remote Bisnpur village of Manipur, had heard and read a lot in her school books about the ‘heaven on earth’, Kashmir, but because of certain restrains could not fulfil her dream to visit the valley.

“After I heard and read about Kashmir in my school books, I had a desire to visit the place. I could see the valley of Kashmir daily in my dreams, but was not in a position to visit,” Jigmat told The Tribune.

But thanks to the Operation Sadbhavana, launched by the Army, Jigmat, along with 43 other students, was lucky enough to fulfil her long-cherished dream of visiting the valley.

“It was really a dream come true for all of us, especially me, when we landed in Kashmir valley,” said an upbeat Jigmat.

The students who belong to far-off villages of the north-eastern state visited places of interests like Srinagar, Uri, Gulmarg, Sonmarg and other picturesque locations of the valley.

“We saw the valley. It was like heaven. We had never seen snowfall in our life until we saw Gulmarg. We did skiing in the snow and had a blast in Kashmir,” said Wanchu, another student from Manipur.

The 44 students who had come on an education tour here, organised by the 15 JAKLI regiment of the Army posted in Manipur, said they would love to visit the valley again.

Speaking to The Tribune, Lt-Col Amitabh Mukerji, who had been accompanying the students from Manipur, said, “We asked them which places they would like to visit and all of them, in one tone, said - Kashmir. So our unit made all the arrangements for them to visit the valley.” He added, “Majority of the students in this tour had never seen a train in their life and it was for the first time they boarded the train.”

The students, in the first of its kind of tour from north-east to the valley, enjoyed their stay and on their way back also visited Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Katra. Jogabanta, a teacher accompanying the students, said, “At first we were reluctant to visit the valley as we had heard a lot about the ongoing turmoil there, but during and after our visit all the fear was gone. We prayed at the shrine that normalcy should soon return to the valley as it is the pride of our country.”

Jammu-based Tiger Division had made arrangements for the students to witness the celebrations of Vijay Diwas at Tiger War Memorial. The students on their way back home are scheduled to visit New Delhi where they would get a chance to interact with the President, Prime Minister and other important dignitaries of the country.