Jammu, June 30
The decision of the state government to take over the conduct of the Amarnath yatra and the revocation of the transfer of forest land to the shrine board, has not been taken well by Hindu organisations here, who have termed the move as “anti-Hindu.”

A large number of protesters took to the streets today to protest against the decision of the government to undertake the conduct of the yatra. The protesters burnt effigies of PDP leaders whom they held responsible for the entire controversy.

They also blocked the Jammu-Pathankot national highway and burnt tyres to express their resentment against the government move.

At various places, protesters clashed with the police, who resorted to mild cane-charge to disperse the crowd. Agitating protesters also tried to barge into the PDP’s office in Gandhi Nagar and pelted stones.

Since morning a large number of police personnel were deployed outside the PDP office as the mob tried to break barricades.

The protesters raised anti-PDP slogans and gathered outside the residence of PDP MLA Shanti Devi, where they held a protest demonstration.

They also raised slogans against Governor N.N. Vohra over his decision to give back the land and handing over the conduct of the yatra to the state government.

Meanwhile, Jammu observed a complete bandh, following a call given by the BJP, which was supported by various other political parties.

Educational institutions, shops, business establishments remained closed and traffic remained off the road.

Various other Jammu-based political parties also joined the bandh call.

The protesters demanded action against the PDP leadership and imposition of Governor's rule in the state.

At various places, violent clashes between protesters and the police were reported.

Angry protesters broke the windowpanes of private vehicles as they tried to keep vehicles off the roads.

There were also reports of clashes between PDP supporters and protesters.

Meanwhile, various political parties would meet in the evening and decide further course of action. 

Udhampur, June 30
At least 20 persons were injured, when the police lathicharged to disperse an unruly mob, which pelted stones on vehicles at Kud on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway.

Reports said over 50 vehicles were damaged by protesters on the national highway.

The BJP and other Hindu groups had given a bandh call against the decision of the state government to take over affairs of the Amarnath yatra.

Normal life was thrown out of gear in Udhampur town in response to the bandh call. A massive rally was also taken out.

Alok Puri, DIG, Udhampur-Reasi, said the police used mild force to disperse the mob, which created hurdles in the movement of traffic at Kud.

He, however, said the strike remained peaceful in Udhampur district.

The ongoing agitation took a violent turn as rumours about attack on pilgrims at Kashmir spread.

Without confirming the reports, the protesters attacked vehicles moving towards the Kashmir valley.

They also pelted stones on vehicles and blocked traffic.

Several processions were taken out from Udhampur to Kud, which led to blockade of the traffic.

At Chenani, angry protesters pelted stones on vehicles, while at Patnitop, some taxi drivers were thrashed for plying their vehicles.

At Kud, activists of the BJP carrying sticks and iron-rods took out a procession. BJP supporters also smashed windowpanes of more than 24 vehicles.

The police swung into action and dispersed the mob.

More than 24 persons, including some leaders of the BJP, were arrested by the police.

However, all arrested were released later.

Jammu, June 30
When forest minister Qazi Mohd Afzal resigned on September 2, 2007, in protest against divesting him of the forest portfolio, his resignation was not accepted by Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad.

Qazi, then wrote twice to the Chief Minister, requesting him to accept his resignation.

But Azad did not oblige and after four months, the portfolio was again restored to Qazi Afzal. He resumed his duties in the civil secretariat on December 9, 2007.

The Chief Minister did not show any haste in accepting Qazi’s resignation.

However, when the PDP withdrew their support to the government and its ministers submitted their resignation on Saturday last, the Chief Minister accepted their resignation in less than 10 hours. Why did Azad act in such haste?

Several PDP leaders, including party’s general secretary Nizam-ud-Din Bhat today said, “It indicates that Azad wanted the PDP to remain out of the ruling coalition.”

Bhat accused the Chief Minister of having “sacrificed the national interest on the alter of personal likes and dislikes.”

Asked whether in the developing situation, the Congress would revive its alliance with the NC, he said, “We have nothing to worry about it. If it happens it will be an added advantage to the PDP.”

He said had the Chief Minister been in favour of keeping the Congress-PDP alliance intact, he would have persuaded the Governor to announce that the shrine board did not require the land for raising pre-fabricated tent toilets at Baltal and Domel.

He added that the Governor did it after the PDP withdrew its support to the government.

However, senior Congress leaders, including Abdul Gani Vakil, denied the PDP’s accusations and said the PDP pull out was “part of the dirty politics of the PDP.”

He said, “During the past three years, the PDP on the one hand enjoyed being in power and on the other, tried to mislead people on various issues.”

Jammu, June 30
Agitated over the decision of Governor N.N. Vohra to handover 800 kanals of forest land to the government, the displaced Kashmiri Pandit community has decided to take up the issue with Non-resident Indians (NRIs).

Ashwani Chrangoo, chairman, Panun Kashmir Movement (PKM), said the organisation would hold a “sankalp yatra” across Europe and America.

Speaking to The Tribune from New Delhi, Ashwani Chrangoo said, “I will be leaving for Europe this evening as the PKM has decided to take up those issues with people living abroad. They should be made aware about the actual ground reality in the state.”

Ashwani added, “During the first phase of the sankalp yatra, we will visit Europe and then America. We will also hold meetings and seminars there.”

The community has strongly condemned the Governor’s decision to revoke the land transfer order and handing over the conduct of the yatra to the state government.

The PKM has decided to apprise Indians settled abroad about the recent developments over the shrine board issue.

The PKM has been demanding a separate homeland within Kashmir where a separate settlement for the displaced community could be established. However, the recent outrage in Kashmir against the transfer of forest land to the SASB has not come as a good sign for the PKM to establish a separate homeland for the Kashmiri Pandit community in the valley. 

Jammu, June 30
The latest row surrounding the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) is not the first the board has got into. In the past, the board had been mired in one controversy or another.

In 2004, the SASB was at loggerheads with the then chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed over extending the yatra’s duration to two months. The then Governor Lt-Gen S.K. Sinha (retd) had accused the state government of “unwarrantable interfering” in its functioning. It was for the first time that the SASB had come out openly against “interference” of the state government in its affairs. The government then ultimately agreed to extend the duration of the pilgrimage to 45 days.

In 2005, differences on the duration of yatra again cropped up between the government and the board. There was also a dispute between the two over the issue of operating helicopter services by private parties between Srinagar and the cave shrine. The government had withdrawn permission to the Jagson Airlines to begin its helicopter services, when the Governor was scheduled to fly to the shrine to mark the beginning of the yatra. However, the Governor went ahead with his programme and flew to the shrine. The matter was resolved after it was decided that the IAF would regulate the flights.

In 2006, pilgrims to the shrine returned disappointed as the Shivalingam melted shortly after the pilgrimage commenced. The pilgrimage was also marred by a controversy of the SASB for allegedly puttin up an artificial Shivalingam there.

Last year, the Shivalingam melted even before the official start of the pilgrimage on July 1.

Moreover, a CD showing some unauthorised pilgrims and security men tampering with the Shivalingam added to the controversy.

Jammu, June 30
After the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) played its “trump card” by allegedly raking up the Amarnath land controversy at the fag end of coalition government’s six-year tenure, a trapped National Conference (NC) has no option than to toe arch-rival’s line, due to the upcoming Assembly elections.

Though a beleaguered Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad felt betrayed after the PDP allegedly created the controversy and then walked out of the alliance, the NC did not want to lose ground and also took a plunge, but by then, the PDP had taken full control.

“First the PDP converted a non-issue into an issue and then used it as an election plank for the upcoming elections. Separatist and political outfits exploited innocent people in the Kashmir valley, stirring their religious emotions,” Congress spokesperson Ravinder Sharma said.

The forest land was yet to be demarcated and it was yet to be handed over to the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB).

“More importantly, PDP ministers were present in the Cabinet meet wherein the government decided to temporarily divert the land,” he added.

It may be mentioned here that to resolve the crisis, the SASB not only relinquished the desire to use the land for pilgrims, but the Governor asked the government to solely conduct the entire pilgrimage.

According to Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and former Governor Lt-Gen S.K. Sinha (retd), the land had to be utilised purely on temporary basis during the pilgrimage, Sharma said.

Sharma expressed regrets that the PDP first created the entire drama controversy and then NC patron Farooq Abdullah and his son Omar Abdullah further surcharged the atmosphere.

However, sources in the Congress admitted that the PDP had gained substantially in the Kashmir valley, forcing the NC to take a plunge, which did exactly the same. A senior Congress leader on the condition of anonymity said, “NC patron and former CM Farooq Abdullah initially defended the government’s decision to divert forest land to the SASB. But after seeing the intensity of protests raked up by the PDP, Farooq immediately changed his stand and added fuel to the fire.”

However, by then the PDP had been able to incite people and at the same time, stunned the NC, Sharma said.

Srinagar, June 30
Despite the government virtually acceding to the demands of Kashmir-based political parties, strike continued here on the consecutive eighth day.

But there was a bit more life on the roads today with stray autos running and some shops opening in residential localities. But these were largely aberrations and main market was closed and public transport did not ply. Schools and most of the government offices remain closed.

The violence though largely subsided, few pockets in Srinagar like Bemina saw agitators clashing with security personnel.

The area remained tense as a youth injured in police firing on Saturday died yesterday. Reports said rallies were taken out in some towns including Bandipore.

Meanwhile, the Action Committee against Land Transfer (ACLT) has asked Muslims to march to Jamia Masjid tomorrow, where it would divulge its future course of action.

A senior separatist leader told The Tribune that strike may be called off after namaz tomorrow but the agitation would not be revoked permanently.

The ACLT headed by pro-separatist lawyer Mian Abdul Qayoom insisted that the government should call a cabinet meeting and formally revoke the land-transfer order. “The decision was taken in a Cabinet meeting so it should be scrapped in a meeting,” he said.

The separatists plan to channel the prevailing sentiments into a push for their large anti-state agenda, officials said.

Hardline Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Gilani told a gathering today that they should be ready to go on strike whenever required in future.

The separatist People's Political Party gave a call to outsiders to leave the valley in a month. Its leader Hilal Ahmad War claimed in a press conference that all outside skilled and non-skilled labourers should leave Kashmir as they were behind rising crime rates and acting as government agents.

He said he wanted to use the present mood of the masses to “evict” outsiders from here. “There number is close to 10 lakh, which is a threat to our cultural and demographic identity,” he said.

Jammu, June 30
With Amarnath land row gaining communal and regional tinge, candidates of the PDP, the National Conference and the Congress in Jammu region may find the going tough in the forthcoming Assembly elections in the state.

While it won't be an easy job for the candidates of the National Conference and the PDP to explain their parties' "pro-Kashmir" stand on the issue, the Congress candidates will have to justify their minority government's decision to take over the arrangements of Amarnath yatra from Shri Amarnath Shrine Board, which in a way meant "revocation" of land transfer to the board.

The Congress MLA from Gandhi Nagar, Raman Bhalla, said, "We are keeping an eye on the situation. We will talk to the Chief Minister and convey to him the people's aspirations, on the basis of which we will chalk out our strategy." He said the people must understand that the issue was being "raised by the politicians with vested interests". When asked whether the party's stand will lead to electoral losses, he said, "In elections, you gain in some areas and lose in others. However, we need to rise above electoral politics to address the issue."

Apparently finding themselves in a spot, the PDP legislators from the Jammu region say the party is not against Amarnath yatra and providing facilities to the pilgrims. PDP MLA Shanti Devi said, "We have always desired peace in the state." She said the land was being used for providing facilities to Amarnath pilgrims earlier too and the people should maintain secular harmony in the state.

Manjeet Singh, another PDP MLA, said the state's people understood everything and that they could not be taken for a ride, adding that the BJP was exploiting the issue for electoral gains. He said the issue won't last long and would have no impact on the coming elections.

Echoing similar sentiments, senior National Conference leader Ajay Sadhotra said, "We are for Amarnath yatra." He said the diversion of land to the shrine board would have confined arrangements to a limited area, adding that the pilgrims should be provided facilities alongside the entire trek to the cave shrine.

When asked whether the issue will affect his party's poll prospects in the region, he said, "The parties should not play politics on the issue. Those who are trying to communalise and regionalise it are not the friends of the people." However, given the sensitivity of the matter, some National Conference leaders have adopted a wait and watch approach and are tight-lipped over the issue.

Srinagar, June 30
Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad today appealed people to resume normal activities and let peace prevail since the issue arising out of the government order diverting forest land to the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board had been resolved.

According to an official spokesman, the Chief Minister urged politicians and leaders of various groups not to put people to inconvenience and trouble by raking up an already resolved issue.

He said there was no reason for anybody to disrupt normal life in the valley, which had witnessed violence during the past few days resulting in the loss of precious lives and bringing to halt economic activity in Kashmir.

Azad said leaders of political parties and other groups, who were still doing politics in the name of the forest land, were not friends of the poor people whose daily livelihood had been badly affected due to violence and disruption of normal life in the valley.

He said vendors, taxi operators, hoteliers, houseboat owners, shikarawallas, shopkeepers and labourers were put to great inconvenience and hardship.

The Chief Minister regretted that the situation in Kashmir was disturbed at a time when tourism had picked up in a great measure, generating appreciable economic activity.

He said the recent developments had dealt a severe blow to the tourism industry in Kashmir and, in turn, to all sections associated with it. He said there could be any number of issues taken up by politicians for doing electoral politics but creating a situation where poor sections of the society were denied their daily bread was highly unfortunate.

The Chief Minister underscored the need for immediate restoration of peace and normal life to allow increased tourist inflow.

Srinagar, June 30
Amidst all bits of depressing news coming from Kashmir, comes this heartening development.

Large numbers of pilgrims left stranded and looking for food in the valley found a shelter in camps run by Kashmir Muslims, who joined hands to come to the reprieve of troubled yatris.

Pramod Kapur and his three friends had their first “proper” meal, as he puts it, in a langar run by the locals near Dal gate. “For four hours we drove in fear as there was an erring silence all around us and all we could hear were cries of protests and heavy presence of security personnel. We were hungry and the langar was a very good gesture by the locals,” Kapur, a resident of Delhi, said.

Osman Wani, who is one of the persons behind the move, says similar langars were held across the valley, especially on the way the pilgrims use.

“We are pained when we hear that Kashmiris are attacking pilgrims. We are not communal. We are always misunderstood,” he says with regret.

As Kashmir has seen all-round protests and shutdown against transfer of 800 canal lands to the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board, there have been cases of vehicles carrying yatris being attacked.

Wani and his friend Iqbal Lone say stray cases of mobs attacking pilgrims should not be generalised to judge Kashmiris. “Mobs are always like that whether in Kashmir or Rajasthan or Gujarat. Our leaders have made efforts to rein in such elements,” they add.

Several locals say Kashmiri Muslims had been taking care of yatris for decades before the board was created. “You should not forget that shrine was discovered in Himalayas by a Muslim,” Lone says.

The langar near Dal has attracted a fair number of pilgrims. The locals have chipped in money to run it and are not charging any money from pilgrims.

Rajouri, June 30
On the heels of a major controversy over alleged allotment of forest land to the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board, the state government has served show-cause notices on two brigade commanders and a garrison engineer for illegal construction on a forest land. The notices have been served on brigade commander of two infantry divisions and a garrison engineer based at Poonch in two separate cases for violation of the Jammu and Kashmir Forest Conservation Act 1997 and the Jammu and Kashmir Forest Act.

Sources in the forest department at Poonch said in the first case of the violation of provisions of various forest acts of the state, the department has served a show-cause notice on the brigade commander of 93 Infantry Division for undertaking widening of road through a forest area without seeking statutory permission from the forest department. "The 93rd Infantry Division did the widening of road through 600 metres of forest land from Gali Maidan to the Rangvan stretch without seeking statutory approval of the forest department. While doing so they violated Section 2 of the J&K Forest Conservation Act 1997 and Section 6 of the J&K Forest Act by unauthorised undertaking of road construction and encroaching upon the forest land,” reliable source in the department said. "Since as per the provisions of the J&K Forest Conservation Act if a department undertakes construction on forest land without requisite approval from the forest department, the head of that department becomes prima facie responsible for offence, the show-cause has been served on the brigade commander to explain as to why the army didn't seek statutory approval from the forest department.

In the second case, a show-cause notice has been served on a brigade commander of 10 Infantry Division and Garrison Engineer of 881 work section for issuing land clearance/availability certificate to the engineering works department of the Army without obtaining any clearance from the forest department. "The officers concerned have reportedly given a nod for laying the 11 KV high tension electric line through forest area. The DSO and brigade commander of 10 Infantry Division violated the provisions of the J&K Forest Conservation Act 1997 by issuing land clearance/availability certificate to the engineering works department of the Army without obtaining any clearance from the forest department thus failing to exercise due diligence as required under the provisions of the forest conservation act", the source said. "The show-cause notice has been served on both officers concerned for the violation and they will have to file their reply within 30 days".

The Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Poonch, while confirming the development, said "The violation has taken place. We are fulfilling the statutory requirement and after completing necessary formalities, the forest offence report will be filed before the competent court", DFO said.

Srinagar, June 30
The alleged attempts by protesters to vandalise the houses of mainstream leaders, mostly from the PDP, and the conspicuous absence of mainstream parties from public arena in the valley, should be a matter of concern for the Central and state governments.

In a worrisome development for nationalist forces, some of these leaders, referred to as “pro-India” in the local media, have become hate-figures among a section of protesters.

While separatists have come to occupy the centre stage in an agitation which started a week back, the NC, the PDP and the Congress, have started releasing press notes on a daily-basis.

After Mirwaiz Umar Farooq led a big rally yesterday, his hardline Hurriyat counterpart Syed Ali Shah Geelani mobilised a sizeable gathering today, and launched a scathing attack against the policies of the government.

In an attempt to cash in on the prevailing sentiments, he said the agitation was not about the 800 kanals of forest land, but about the lands occupied by the Army and others.

Reports say the houses of frontline PDP leaders like Muzaffar Baig and Deputy CM and and forest minister Qazi Afzal had come under attack from the people.

After protesters pelted stones on the Ganderbal house of Qazi Afzal, security was fortified around his house. Both the ministers were instrumental in diverting 800 kanals of forest land to the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB).

Meanwhile, the house of a relative of former finance minister Tariq Hamid Karra, was also attacked and so was the Budgam house of transport minister Hakim Yasin.

The father-daughter duo of Mufti Mohammad Syed and Mehbooba Mufti are were probably the two most talked about politicians among the Kashmiri masses.

Mehbooba said her father came to know about the land transfer decision from newspapers even as her Cabinet ministers were present in the meeting. Even a fool won’t buy her arguments,”Abrar Anwar, a protester, said.

The National Conference seems to be spared by the protesters, but the party has made no attempt to contact the masses.