Jammu, January 13
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad has stressed upon the need for simplifying and streamlining the formalities for smooth travel across the Line of Control.

Besides, he has suggested a special census to find out the exact number of militancy related widows and orphans in the state, official sources said here today.

Speaking at a specially convened joint meeting of senior central and state government officials convened by him in New Delhi last evening, Azad also underlined the need for immediate and time bound implementation of the recommendations of various working groups on Kashmir set up by Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh in 2006.

It was agreed in the meeting that a committee of senior officers from the concerned ministries in the Government of India, including a representative of the state government would be set up to oversee the implementation of Working Groups' recommendations.

The meeting was attended by National Security Advisor to Prime Minister, M.K. Narayanan, Secretary Planning Commission Dr Subas Pani, Special Representative on Kashmir, N.N. Vohra, Union Home Secretary, Madhukar Gupta, Special Secretary Home Kumawat, Joint Secretary, Home Mitali Sen Gavai and joint secretary, ministry of external affairs T.C.A. Raghavan.

Besides, senior officers of PMO, Home, Defence and Cabinet Secretariat were also present.

From J&K side besides the Chief Minister, chief secretary B. R. Kundal, financial commissioner Planning & Development, S.S. Kapur, director general of police Kuldeep Khoda, principal secretary to Chief Minister Anil Goswami, commissioner secretary finance B.B. Vyas and commissioner secretary power development Basharat Ahmad Dar attended the meeting.

Jammu, January 13
An exhibition “Know Your Army” was today organised by the Tiger Division of the Indian Army to make people aware about the work and weaponry of the Indian Army. People in large numbers gathered at the venue to take a look at the weaponry used by the Army. The exhibition was inaugurated by the General Officer in Command (GOC) Major General Sanjeev Loomba. 

The exhibition is on for two days.

Maj Gen Loomba said, “ The Indian Army is well equipped with weapons to ensure a resounding success in war.”

He said the aim of the exhibition was to showcase the latest weaponry and special military equipment, including tanks and artillery guns, to the general public. Real action war video footage was also shown to the people.

People especially the young ones keen to join the Army thronged the exhibition ground to have a glimpse of the ammunition used in war.

PRO, Ministry of Defence, Lt. Col. S.D. Goswami said, “served the purpose of showcasing the army to the general public.”

Later in the day, a special force of the Army organised a para jumping show, in which two paratroopers jumped from a helicopter from a height of 6,000 feet.

Jammu, January 13
The festival of Lohri and Maghi was today celebrated with fervour and people exchanged Lohri gifts with each other and offered prayers.

The Sikh community celebrates the day as “Maghi mela” in memory of 40 Sikh martyrs who sacrificed their lives for Guru Gobind Singh in Muktsar.

Lohri, known as the festival to bid goodbye to the winter season, was celebrated with much fervour in the city.

At many places, people danced around bonfires and sang folklores to celebrate the day. Various cultural programmes were also held to mark the day.

“Every year we celebrate this day with traditional fervour as we lit a bonfire and everybody dances around it after offering gifts to the fire god,” said Kanta Devi, a local resident of Sanjay Nagar, Jammu.

Governor Lt. General S.K. Sinha (retd), while greeting the people, said, “Lohri is a historical festival celebrated since the Indus Valley civilization. Such festivals strengthen the bonds of brotherhood, communal harmony and amity among people belonging to different communities and religions.” 

Rajouri, January 13
Even as the state government claims to revolutionise the power sector, some villages and hamlets in this border district, are sans electricity.

According to a government document assessed by The Tribune, there are seven villages and 916 hamlets in this district, which are without electricity. And it will take approximately three years for the electrification of these places which would be carried out under the Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyuth Yojana scheme.

As per the document, the process of electrification would be completed in three years from the accord of sanction to the scheme by the rural electrification council (REC). It further stated that the estimated cost for the electrification of these villages and hamlets was Rs 69.10 crore.

And till the state government manages funds for the scheme for electrification of the villages from the REC, villagers have to be content with more days of darkness.

Reacting angrily over the situation, residents alleged that the government was discriminating with these villages and hamlets.

"Are we C-class citizens of India? Don't we deserve to avail the light of electric bulb," asked Rasheeda Begum, a resident of Channi Pathi in Sunderbani tehsil, one of the villages without electricity.

Sources in the Power Development Department (PDD) said the department had sought Rs 69.10 crore for electrification of these villages and hamlets under RGGVY scheme and had submitted the proposal to the REC through the state government. The REC had principally approved Rs 29 crore for the scheme in 2006-07, but didn't release the funds for the same, they said.

Confirming that seven villages and 916 hamlets in the district remain without power, technical officer, (M&RE), PDD Department, Rajouri Division, Muhammad Maqbool Naik said the department had proposed electrification of all these villages under the RGGVY scheme and was awaiting funds.

"As soon as we receive the funds, the process of electrification of these villages and hamlets will start,” Naik assured. 

New Delhi, January 13
With Pakistan going through a tumultuous phase precipitated by a series of violent attacks by extremist elements, security officials feel that the course of militancy in the state would be influenced by the policies adopted by the new government in the neighbouring country, which comes to office after the general elections.

Jammu and Kashmir DGP Kuldeep Khoda today said Pakistan had not yet taken effective steps to dismantle infrastructure created to train militants for strikes in Jammu and Kashmir. In an exclusive interview with The Tribune, Khoda said terrorist infrastructure was intact on the other side of the Line of Control (LoC) and infiltration figures were the same for the last two years.

“Incidents of violence in the state have come down but operations have to continue to keep the situation under control. Intelligence inputs indicate that the guard cannot be lowered. They also indicate infiltration and continued activities of terrorists to disturb peace,” he said.

About the impact of recent developments in Pakistan on the security situation in the state, he said the situation was fluid and needed to be watched carefully. Khoda said there was a tussle between various factions, including hardliners and moderates in Pakistan, and much depended on the outcome of elections and policies adopted by the new government. “We will have to see what emerges at the political-level. The establishment in Pakistan includes the Army and the ISI. As of now indications are that terrorist activity will continue,” he said.

Jammu, January 13
As if only death could have fulfilled his last wish of getting buried beside the graves of his parents at his ancestral village.

Ghulam Mohammad, an 80-year-old man from Pakistan occupied Kashmir, who had come to Loran village near Poonch on July 16 last year, died on January 11.

The Government of India has refused him stay for rest of his life and there was a debate over whether his body should be sent back to PoK. But the authorities with the help of residents finally fulfilled Ghulam’s last wish by giving him a burial at Loran.

According to his brother Mohammad Ramzan, Ghulam Mohammad had strayed across the Line of Actual Control in Poonch during the partition, while all his relatives including brothers and sisters stayed back.

Since he could not return, he got stuck there and used to live in Muhair Colony, a settlement of the refugees from this part of the state, in the Pakistan occupied Kashmir.

It was only after the Poonch-Rawalakote bus service started that he got the permission to visit his family on this side. He had come here under Permit No 0726. After reaching here he applied for the extension of the permission to stay as his health got deteriorated.

His permission was extended to August 27. He had also applied to the Government of India wanting to be allowed to stay here only for the rest of his life so that he could be buried after his death along with his ancestors.

His application was rejected and the process of his repatriation was initiated. However, he got a reprieve from the Jammu and Kashmir High Court, which stayed his repatriation till the disposal of his writ petition.

Meanwhile, he breathed his last on January 11 at the house of his nephew Shah Mohammad.

Faced with a piquant situation, the district authorities could not make out what to do. The officials told The Tribune that in case the body was to be repatriated, it would require certain formalities including the holding of the flag staff meeting with the Pakistani troops. This was not practicable since Mohammad did not have any relative there.

The district administration is learnt to have sought directions from the Ministry of External Affairs for his burial at Loran. The postmortem was also conducted and after completion of all the legal formalities under the supervision of SSP Jagjeet Kumar and DC B.D. Sharma, the body was laid to rest.

For the last 60 years, the families on both sides of the LoC have been trying hard to remain in touch with their relatives across the divide.

Jammu, January 13
Former health minister and senior National Conference leader Mian Altaf today warned against any move to divide the state along the communal lines. 

Altaf, who is also a prominent Gujjar leader said Gujjars, who constitute the third largest ethnic group in Jammu and Kashmir were spread across the state and they will not tolerate its division for any reasons.

Rejecting the demand of division of the state on regional or communal lines, while addressing a Gujjar conclave at Kathua, Altaf said the trifurcation would divide the nationalist forces and would only strengthen the anti-national elements to carry forward their "nefarious designs".