Jammu, June 26
The Jammu bandh called by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and supported by the BJP, the Bajrang Dal, the Shiv Sena, the Bar Association of Jammu and other social and religious organisations affected the normal life across the region, especially in Jammu, Kathua, Samba, and Udhampur districts.

These bodies were protesting against the attack on Amarnath pilgrims in the Kashmir valley and politicisation of the diversion of the forest land to the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) by valley centric political outfits and separatists.

Though the bandh by and large remained peaceful, eight people were hurt in
sporadic incidents.

At Malik Market at Bhatindi, a Muslim locality on the outskirts of the winter capital, the VHP, the Bajrang Dal and the BJP activists asked people to close their shops, which led to stone pelting that left six injured.

Bhim Sen Tuti, SDPO east, said only two people, identified as Sain Mohammed of Narwal and Sukhvinder Singh of Chatha, were injured in the incident.

“We prevented the situation from taking an ugly turn. A strong posse of police force has been deployed in the area and situation is under control,” said the police officer.

Though there had been protests in the region for the past three days against PDP minister Muzaffar Hussain Beig, former chief ministers Mufti Mohammed Sayeed and Farooq Abdullah for allegedly instigating the people in the valley, they were free from violence.

Extending support to the bandh call, all commercial vehicles including buses, mini-buses, cabs and auto-rickshaws remained off the road and miniscule attendance of employees was noticed in different government offices in the winter capital. Similarly, markets in the temple city wore a deserted look.

Reports from Lakhanpur, Kathua, Hiranagar, Samba, Vijaypur, Bishnah and RS Pura said that normal life was badly hit as business establishments remained closed for the day and private as well as government institutions witnessed thin attendance.

In Kathua, two persons received injuries in separate clashes when the VHP, Bajrang Dal workers forced the people to shut their shops.

At certain places, VHP activists burnt tyres and also blocked the Jammu-Srinagar and the Jammu-Pathankote National Highway causing problems for the common man.

Jammu, June 26
If in case the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) quits the coalition government, the Governor, according to constitutional experts, has got only one option i.e. to place the state under the Central rule.

The PDP has threatened to pull out if the state government does not withdraw the order on the transfer of forest land to the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) by
June 30.

Leading lawyer H.D. Singh said the Governor could not ask the Chief Minister to head a caretaker government till the next election, due in October.

“If Azad loses majority in the House, he can’t have the right to recommend to the Governor to dissolve the Assembly,” said Singh and others, in reply to a question.

They said no doubt the Governor has the powers to allow Azad to head a coalition government but whosoever headed such an arrangement had to demonstrate majority on the floor of the House.

Singh said a party in minority, if allowed to head a caretaker government, could not take any political and administrative decision.

He said the Congress has 26 members in the Assembly and even if it managed to get support of some Independents, it would fal short of a majority.

“The Azad-led government could survive if the National Conference, which has 25 members in the House, steps in and supports the government from outside,” the
lawyer said.

Experts said the only alternative the current “breakdown in the constitutional machinery” was to place the state under the Governor’s rule under Section 92 of the state constitution.

Meanwhile, the PDP leadership has started examining whether quitting the government would solve its interest or not.

Jammu, June 26
Though the BJP and the Panthers Party have strongly demanded the imposition of the Governor's rule in the state, the Ghulam Hassan Mir-headed Jammu Kashmir Democratic Party has supported the Azad’s call for an all-party meet to sort out the Amarnath land transfer issue.

Referring to the ongoing violence in Kashmir and the continued shutdown and protest demonstrations in Jammu, Panthers Party leader Harsh Dev Singh today asked, “If this situation does not call for the imposition of the Governor's rule then what more could be required?”

He said it was the “most opportune time for Governor N.N. Vohra, to impose the Governor's rule under Section 92 of the state constitution.”

Ashok Khajuria, state president the BJP, stated, “Since there is political and security chaos in the state, the only way out is to place the state under the Central rule.”

Khajuria blamed the Kashmir centric parties, especillay the PDP and the Congress, for having engineered a communal and regional divide.

He said, “As such it could be dangerous to the safety of the state if the current PDP-Congress coalition government was allowed to complete its full term.”

Ghulam Hassan Mir, chief of the Jammu Kashmir Democratic Party, said imposition of the Governor's rule was not going to solve the current imbroglio in the state.

He explained that the annual Amarnath Yatra has been a century-old ritual and people in Kashmir have always played a complimentary role in making the yatra success every year.

He explained that the anger in people in Kashmir was not over the yatra but over the misuse of the forest land which had been diverted only for a specific purpose. He supported the Chief Minister’s decision to resolve the issue at an all-party meet.

Asked what would happen to the meeting in the absence of the PDP, Mir said, “The PDP is not the only party in the state, there are many organisations.”

Udhampur, June 26
The on-going row of allotment of land to Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) has created a divide between majority and minority communities in the communally sensitive mountainous belt of the erstwhile Doda district.

At Udhampur, Hindu groups blocked the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway and staged a dharna.

Although Amarnath pilgrims were allowed to proceed, buses, trucks and other vehicles were stopped.

Some Hindu groups and the Shiv Sena have threatened to block supply of essential commodities in the Valley if protests against the Amarnath yatra continued.

The bandh supporters today targeted some Kashmir-based vehicles carrying essential commodities and other items.

On the other hand, tension mounted in some sensitive areas of Doda and Bhaderwah when members of a minority community tried to enforce bandh in response to strike call given by some Hindu groups to lodge protest against attack on Amarnath pilgrims in Srinagar.

Strike call was given the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), Shiv Sena, and the Bajrang Dal and supported by the BJP and some other political parties.

Keeping in view the tension among different communities, heavy deployment of force was done in Bhaderwah and Doda to avoid any untoward incident.

Udhampur, June 26
Amidst reports that some militant outfits are regrouping to accomplish their nefarious designs during Assembly elections, security agencies have decided to devise a joint strategy to foil their game plan.

The visit of the general officer commanding-in-chief (GoC-in-C), northern command, was aimed at strengthening coordination among different security agencies and to review the overall situation in Doda district. GoC-in-C Lt Gen P. C. Bhardwaj visited Doda and interacted with senior police officers.

Lt Gen Bhardwaj was on his maiden visit to Doda after assuming charge. He had earlier served as general commanding officer of Delta Force.

Newly appointed Doda senior superintendent of police Raghubir Singh told the Tribune that Lt Gen Bhardwaj visited the district to review security situation keeping in view the forthcoming Assembly elections.

The SSP said the GoC-in-C had inquired about prevailing situation in the district and stressed on the need of close coordination between all security agencies to maintain law and order.

Raghubir Singh said main task before the security agencies was to ensure free and fair elections in the area.

In Jammu province, Doda district has been considered sensitive as far as Assembly elections are concerned. In 1996 and 2002 Assembly elections, Doda had witnessed militancy-related incidents during election campaign.

Due to the presence of militants in this belt, 70 per cent of the polling booths in the erstwhile Doda district - comprising present districts of Ramban and Kishtwar - are identified as hypersensitive.

The recent killing of five officials of the GREF has given sleepless nights to the
security agencies.

Srinagar, June 26
Governor N.N. Vohra has appealed to the people to maintain peace and calm, stressing that all issues of public importance can be resolved amicably in a conciliatory manner. An official spokesman said Vohra had expressed sorrow over
the lives lost in the last few days and conveyed his sincere sympathy for the bereaved families.

He was confident that all sections of society would come forward and help in the urgent restoration of public order. Vohra said the Amarnath yatra has been a unique example of Kashmir’s pluralistic ethos for centuries and owes its successful accomplishment to the active participation of the majority brethren.

He observed, “The success of the yatra without the support of local population is unimaginable,” and hoped that the people would continue to carry forward their glorious legacy without getting swayed by suspicions and provocations.

The Governor said the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) was deeply sensitive to the sensibilities of the people on various issues including the environmental aspects of the yatra zone and said every possible effort would be made to meet fully the ecological requirements.

He said the Board shall be open to each and every suggestion in this regard and all necessary measures would be implemented on time bound basis.

Chamliyal (Indo-Pak border), June 26
A perfect example of bonhomie was today witnessed on the international border between India and Pakistan, when the Pakistan Rangers handed over a ‘chaddar’ to their Indian counterparts to be placed on the tomb of Baba Dileep Singh Manhas, whom Pakistani revere as Baba Sayeed Manhas.

Led by Colonel Ahid Muzaffar Shah, sector commander of the Pakistan Rangers, a delegation of rangers and civilians crossed over the Zero Line in Chamliyal sector to hand over the ‘chaddar’ to BSF officials to be placed on the tomb of Baba Chamliyal.

The annual mela Chamliyal that represents the common traditions and cultures of the citizens of both nations started today with thousands of people attending the first day of the fair.

According to a common belief, a highly revered sage Baba Dileep Singh Manhas lived in the village about two hundred years ago. He was beheaded by his opponents. His head fell at one place and the body in another.

It is said after his death, Baba appeared in the dream of his disciple and asked him to spread the message that the ‘shakar’ (holy soil) and ‘sharbat’ (holy water) near his tomb possessed healing powers and could cure various skin aliments.

“After partition, the portion where his head fell came in India and the other where his body fell was left in Pakistan, so two memorials were built, since then people from across the border send a chaddar for the tomb here and we send shakar and sharbat to other side to be distributed as parsad,” said G.S. Virk, deputy inspector general, BSF.

He added: “The sage is equally revered by people on both sides of the border.” Col. Ahid of Pakistani Rangers said: “We are grateful to the Indian government and BSF for allowing us to take part in celebrations and give the holy shakar and sharbat.”

The civilians, who had come along with the Pakistani Rangers, expressed their desire to visit India and interact with the Indians.

“We want the bonhomie to increase even further and there should be a free people-to-people contact,” said Ali Ahmad, resident of Saidwal in Pakistan.

Katra, June 26
Although the number of pilgrims visiting the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine increases every year, pilgrims have to confront numerous problems, of which deficient medical services top the list.

The only hospital located in Katra town - the base camp of the shrine -cannot cater to the needs of 70 lakhs pilgrims, who visit the town every year.

Notwithstanding claims of the authorities concerned to provide adequate medical facilities to the pilgrims, people accompanying patients have to purchase water from the market as there is an acute shortage of drinking water in the hospital.

Moreover the water being supplied to the hospital is contaminated. Attendants of the patients said clean drinking water was still not available at the hospital.

“I have to purchase mineral water from the market as water available in the taps of the hospital is contaminated,” Rajeshwar, a resident of UP, whose wife was admitted in the hospital, said.

Rajpal Singh, block medical officer (BMO), Katra, admitted that there was an acute shortage of water in the hospital due to leakage of some supply lines.

“The PHE department has repaired the damage pipes and water supply has been streamlined”, he claimed.

The hospital receives more than 400 patients everyday. “Like other areas of the state, authorities should set up a sub-district hospital here as lakhs of pilgrims visit the town every year”, said Rakesh Wazir, a resident of Katra.

He said it was a historic opportunity for the people of the state to take benefit of the development initiatives made by the government.

Minister for health and medical education Mangat Ram Sharma also addressed the
public meetings.