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Govt revokes land transfer order
Strike called off in valley; one more dies
PDP, NC hail revocation of land transfer order
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Regional Bias
Amarnath land row
Vohra calls session on July 7
BJP flays govt for cancelling order
BJP extends bandh
Udhampur, Reasi also see normal life disrupted
‘Land row blown out of proportion’
Call to pull out troops from govt land
Fresh batch of pilgrims leaves for Amarnath
Pilgrims offended with decision
Two girls die in landslide
176 cross LoC
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Govt revokes land transfer order
Srinagar, July 1 This was decided at a meeting of the state cabinet held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad here today. Various cabinet ministers had discussed the issue with the state PCC chief and Union Water Resources Minister Saifuddin Soz for more than two hours at his residence here last evening. “We want a decision that would be acceptable to people in both the regions,” where divergent types of protests have been going on, senior Congress minister Mangat Ram Sharma said after the meeting here last evening. The government order for diversion of the forest land to SASB led to widespread demonstrations across Kashmir resulting in four deaths and injuries to over 400. Today’s order has come in view of the recent correspondence between the Governor, who is also chairman of SASB and the Chief Minister. “In view of the state government’s firm commitment that the requirements and interests of the yatris will be fully ensured and protected, SASB does not need to pursue its earlier request for forest land being diverted for creating the required temporary facilities for the yatries,” the cabinet has taken note of this statement in the Governor’s letter to the Chief Minister. In its order the government said for the purpose of providing facilities to the yatris, the land would be made available to the Tourism Department as per requirement, at various locations from Jammu to the holy cave shrine via Baltal-Domail as well as Pahalgam yatra routes. The Tourism Department has accordingly been directed to make adequate provisions in its annual budgets, keeping in view the ever increasing number of yatris so that not only are the existing facilities properly maintained but also that they are upgraded further year after year. The cabinet took note of the recent correspondence exchanged between the Governor, as also the Chairman, the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board, and the Chief Minister, on the issue of diversion of forest land. |
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Strike called off in valley; one more dies
Srinagar, July 1 However, the “victory” came only after one more person lost his life in clashes with security personnel. Abdul Gani Sheikh, 70, died when a teargas shell, fired by cops to disperse protesters in Budgam district, hit him, the police said. The police said they had to fire teargas shells as the crowd wanted to march forward despite being told to stop and disperse. “They were getting violent and it was unfortunate that a man died after being hit by a teargas shell,” an official said. Over 40 persons, including four cops, were also injured in agitations. The death toll in valley during protests over land transfer has reached five and over 300 persons, over including 100 security personnel, were also injured. After a big rally at Jamia Masjid, the ACLT held a long meeting and its chairperson Mian Qayoom, a former president of the Kashmir High Court Bar Association, told mediapersons that the government’s climb-down was due to pressure from masses. “Entire population of the valley supported us and we will continue to corner the government over people’s causes,” the lawyer, who is a close associate of Syed Ali Shah Geelani, said, asking people to light up their home tonight to celebrate their victory. Normalcy will now return to Kashmir which observed complete shutdown for eight days after the protests claimed their first life on July 23 evening when a youth in Srinagar was killed in firing from security personnel. Earlier, Geelani managed to give the police a slip and appeared in the premises of Jamia Masjid even as other significant separatist leaders like Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik among others were placed under house arrest. The ACLT had given a call to Kashmiri Muslims to converge in the mosque but the police prevented people from outside towns to reach there, apprehending violence. Security establishment would heave a huge sigh of relief over the development as thousands of them were mobilised over the last nine days to deal with protesters, who often went berserk. |
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PDP, NC hail revocation of land transfer order
Srinagar, July 1 PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, whose party pulled out of the coalition government on Saturday, said it was beneficial to the people of Kashmir, particularly to those directly getting benefits from the yatra. Talking to The Tribune, she said people used to conduct the yatra smoothly till few years back but recently they had been virtually isolated from the yatra. The order should have come 15 days ago, which could have saved the precious lives and the situation from taking a communal colour. At least four persons died, several others were injured and the life across was paralysed over the past nine days affecting the economy badly,
she said. When asked about the PDP’s future plans, Mehbooba said there
was no question of supporting the earlier coalition partner on any issue ahead. She said Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad was opposed to all that had been favoured by her party or the former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. She blamed Azad for facilitating the former Governor to virtually run a parallel government in the state. Expressing similar views, Omar Abdullah, NC president, said the decision, though appropriate, was delayed. He said the government should have acted earlier and cancelled this order immediately after Governor N.N. Vohra, as the chairman of the SASB informed him that they do not need the land for the board. He appealed to the people of Kashmir to facilitate the return of normalcy in the valley and allow the normal life to be resumed. He also appealed to the people of Jammu to understand that the transfer of land to the shrine board was the only issue with the people of Kashmir however; they are not against the yatra or against the yatries. He said Kashmiris have always welcomed the yatra and in fact waited for the yatries to arrive in Kashmir and have always extended their warm welcome and hospitality to them and have done their best to facilitate the comfort of the yatries during their stay as honored guests of Kashmir. He said it is unfortunate that the BJP and the VHP are raking up communal passion in Jammu,
he said. M.Y. Tarigami, CPM state secretary, and President PDF Hakeem Mohammad Yaseen in a joint statement hailed the decision and hoped that
it would end the political stalemate. The leaders congratulated the people for maintaining age-old traditions of communal harmony, mutual tolerance and peace while protesting in favour of preserving the distinct identity of the state. |
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Regional Bias
Jammu, July 1 However, the bone of contention was yet again found to be nagging
Kashmir dispute. Talking to The Tribune, general secretary of the Bar Association Jammu (BAJ) advocate Pawan Maini bracketed his counterparts in Kashmir Valley as anti-nationalists having separatist agenda. History is replete with instances when the Kashmir Bar brazenly exhibited its separatist agenda. During the diamond jubilee celebrations of the creation of the state high court when the then President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and the then Chief Justice of India Y.P. Sabharwal had come to Kashmir, the Kashmir Bar had boycotted the function,” said Maini. The BAJ general secretary said the Jammu Bar had always shown a secular face unlike lawyers of Kashmir, who toe separatists’ agenda all time. Kashmir High Court Bar Association president advocate Nazir Ahmed Ronga said, “We are not against the pilgrimage but we have been demanding that ecology of the state be protected.” However, Ronga admitted that Kashmir dispute had been responsible for the yawning gap between lawyers’ fraternity in
two regions of Jammu and Kashmir. “Kashmir issue, which we say must be resolved amicably, is the reason of ideological difference between us,” he said. Further, the Jammu Bar most of the times feel that our issues are politically motivated, he added. He said, “If they accept Kashmir dispute an issue, harmony could be established between us.” Advocate Mian Abdul Qayoom claimed that the Kashmir Bar had never been at loggerheads with the BAJ and only the latter could tell why it harbours certain reservations against the valley lawyers. “Being part of the society one can not remain aloof,” he said while justifying the Kashmir Bar’s support to the demand of valley people of rescinding forest land transfer order that resulted into present turmoil. Under the constitution, every individual has a right to freedom, speech and expression and lawyers did the same in the valley, he added. Meanwhile, in a meeting BAJ members decided to constitute a six-member committee to meet the Governor and urge him to settle the dispute amicably. |
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Amarnath land row
Jammu, July 1 Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, who has to prove a magic figure of 44 on the floor of the House by July 7 to save his government, has a tough task ahead as to how to restore peace in Jammu, said Congress sources. The Hindu organsiations have accused the government of succumbing to the pressure from Kashmir-centric parties. The sources admitted that the land row would cast serious repercussions on poll prospects of the party in the coming Assembly elections. “The Shri Amarnath Yatra Sangharsh Samiti
(SAYSS), a conglomerate of the BJP and other Hindu organisations have already extended the Jammu bandh by another 24 hours in protest against the government’s decision and
Azad, already walking on razor’s edge, undoubtedly faces a Herculean task,” said a party leader. Some disgruntled politicians, in a bid to strengthen their vote banks, have set the entire state on fire, he said. A police officer on the condition of anonymity admitted that the state has plunged into a crisis and the situation has to be dealt strictly before things assume ugly shape. “However, strict instructions have been issued to us not to let the situation go out of control,” said the officer. We have been clearly told that valley like situation shouldn't happen in the Jammu region, he said. |
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Vohra calls session on July 7
Srinagar, July 1 The Legislative Assembly would meet for a day on Monday at 10.00 am for a special session, said an official spokesman here today. The Governor had earlier asked Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad to prove majority in the House by July 7. This for the first time that the state is facing such a situation where the ruling party is going to prove its majority in the wake of a political crisis. The 89-member Assembly has 87 elected members, where the government requires at least 44 members to form a majority. Presently, the ruling Congress, with 40 members on its side, is short of four members to prove its majority in the House. The Congress has 22
MLAs, six other associates including the PDF led by transport minister Hakeem Mohammad Yaseen and two members of the CPM led by
M.Y. Tarigami. The PDP, which had 20 members, has been reduced to 18 only with two former ministers, Ghulam Hassan Mir and Sarafaraz Khan forming a new party after quitting the
PDP. The National Conference having 24 members has already made it clear that it would not support the Congress. The opposition also comprises four members of the Panthers Party, once coalition partners, and two others, one each from the BJP and
JSM. |
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BJP flays govt for cancelling order
Jammu, July 1 Addressing a press conference here on Tuesday, BJP state president, Ashok Khajuria said the cabinet's
anti-SASB decision would intensify the ongoing agitation in the coming day across the country. Strongly criticising the Jammu based ministers in the Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad led-government, Khajuria along with party spokesperson Hari Om and party's state general secretary, Shamsher Manhas said, "I appeal to the people of Jammu to socially boycott Congress ministers belongs to Jammu, who participated in the cabinet meeting." The BJP president also criticised the state government for giving the communal colour to their agitation, which resulted into clashes between the police and agitators at various places in and outside the city. When asked about the BJP's further course of action after the three-day agitation, Khajuria replied, "The BJP national executive organised a meeting at national headquarters on Tuesday on the land row, where the further course of action will be decided." He added, "The state BJP opens its cards after discussing with the national executive and after completing the 72-hour Jammu
bandh." On a question regarding Khajuria's statement for economic blockade of the Kashmir region, the BJP state president said that they were not implementing it due to the ongoing Amarnath yatra and heavy rush at Shri Mata Vaishno
Devi. |
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Bandh cripples life in Jammu
Jammu, July 1 Pilgrims of the Vaishno Devi were also a harried lot, as private buses were not plying on roads. “We are looking for some food joint for the past half an hour but it seems that we would have to eat from any roadside stall,” said Vineet Kumar, who was here en route to Vaishno Devi along with his family. The residents, too, bore the brunt of the bandh. “We are left with no ration. We make the purchase on the beginning of every month. However, the extension of bandh has added to our woes,” said R.K. Bhat, adding that I hope that the shops would open for a while in the evening. The blockade of Jammu-Pathankot highway also had the residents fuming. “My family had to attend a wedding in Pathankot, but the protesters didn’t let them go. They had no option but to return,” lamented Manjeet Singh, a resident. |
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BJP extends bandh
Jammu, July 1 Speaking to The Tribune, state BJP president Ashok Khajuria said, “It has been decided that we would extend the call of Jammu bandh by another 24 hours and now Jammu would remain closed till July 3.” “The BJP at national-level has decided to hold a Bharat bandh on July 3 against the revocation of the land to the SASB,” he added. He said his party would continue to agitate against the revocation of the land and would intensify the protests in the coming days. |
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Udhampur, Reasi also see normal life disrupted
Udhampur, July 1 The Jammu-Srinagar national highway remained closed for more than six hours as bandh supporters blocked movement of traffic at Udhampur and Kud. Meanwhile, in response to the call given by Hindu groups and the BJP, the minority community observed a complete strike in Doda, Bhaderwah
and Kishtwar. Not only Hindu groups but other political parties like the BSP, the Panthers Party and the National Bahujan Party also joined in the on-going protest. All the shops and other business establishment in these towns and its surrounding areas were closed, while the commercial traffic was off the road. Since morning bandh supporters were roaming on the roads smashing windowpanes of all vehicles playing on the road. The police chased the youth who were attacking vehicles. Decision of the state cabinet to rescind allotment of land to the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) has fuelled a already tense atmosphere in these areas. As people got information about the cabinet decision, they came on roads and resorted to shouting slogans against the government. Today, Congress workers and leaders had to face ire of the people as protesters shouted slogans against the party for, what they alleged, succumbing before the fundamentalist forces. Irked over decision of the Congress-led regime to revoke the allotment order, people tore all banners and hoarding of Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad which were installed in the town. At Reasi, BJP workers took out a procession in the town and shouted anti-Congress slogans. They tore away all banners, hoardings and uprooted some foundation stones which were laid by
Azad. |
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‘Land row blown out of proportion’
Jammu, July 1 “The issue has been blown out of proportion. If we have elected the government we should also allow it to take decisions, otherwise what is the sense of democracy?” asked Arun Gupta, secretary-general, the J&K Institute of Public Opinion. “Our state was inching towards normalcy after the years of militancy, but this controversy and the subsequent violent protests have again taken the state back to 1990s,” said Devinder Batra, convener of Secular Citizen's Forum. “The Amarnath Yatra lasts for two months and the pilgrims are to be provided temporary facilities only during that period. The board was constituted by the government to take care of the arrangements of the yatra,” he said, adding that some political parties were vitiating the atmosphere for vested interests. Human rights activist Mir Hafezullah said the issue could have been sorted out amicably, but the political parties created confusion by raking it up. He said the state government, too, was not sincere in addressing the issue. “All parties saw an opportunity to cash in the controversy and indulged in a blame game. The separatists, too, found in it an issue to mobilise public opinion in the valley,” he said. He said the issue had been mishandled. “Political leaders should have exhibited restraint and avoided giving provocative statements,” he added. |
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Call to pull out troops from govt land
Jammu, July 1 Recently, the Army authorities vacated several buildings of school and hospital and some orchards in response to the demand voiced by PDP patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. According to the figure, beside 340 sq km, the Army and central security forces still have occupied 50,000-acre land of the state. Out of this only 370-acre of private land was under the occupation of troops in the Kashmir valley. The figures confirm that over 60 per cent of private and government land was under the occupation of the Army in Leh and Kargil districts of Ladakh province. Except for some areas in the state the rest of the land was under authorised occupation of the troops for which the owners receive adequate rent. The defence ministry recently hiked the rent rates by 2.1 to five times for various categories of land. For the irrigated double cropped land the rent has been raised from Rs 1,688 to Rs 4,087 per kanal per annum. For the irrigated land the rent has been raised from Rs 1,125 to over Rs 3,300 per kanal per annum and for uncultivable land from Rs 413 to Rs 895 per kanal. Those whose orchards are under the Army occupation were getting Rs 10,000 per Kanal per annum against Rs 1,575 per kanal before the hike. Experts in the Department of Agriculture and Horticulture say that the revised rent rates fully compensate the losses of landowners. The rent of the land per kanal per annum under the Municipal Corporation occupied by the Army has been increased from Rs 6,750 to Rs 33,750. The ministry of defence has assured the landowners that the rent rates would be reviewed every year. |
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Fresh batch of pilgrims leaves for Amarnath
Jammu, July 1 Pilgrims, including 494 women, 56 children and 136 Sadhus left for Amarnath in a caravan of 47 buses and 15 light motor vehicles, the spokesman said. The two-month-long pilgrimage for commenced on June 17. The yatra was suspended many times due bad weather and heavy rush of pilgrims at base Baltal and Pahalgam yatra camps.
— UNI |
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Pilgrims offended with decision
Jammu, July 1 “Though I am looking quiet, not calm from inside,” said Kuljeet Singh, a pilgrim from Amritsar, adding, “It is unbelievable, how could the state government play with the sentiments of Hindus.” Supporting the Jammu bandh call of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Vishav Hindu Parishad (VHP), the Shiv Sena and the Bajrang Dal, most of the pilgrims said the bandh should be implemented at the national-level so that the central government would intervene and balance the matter. Hundreds of the devotees, who were waiting for their turns at the base camp in the city to move to the shrine, were not happy with the alleged one-sided decision of the state. |
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Two girls die in landslide
Rajouri, July 1 Police sources said cousins Fareeda Begum and Razia Begum died on spot while their relative Saleema Bi was injured after a rock rolling down from the hillock hit them. The trio was cutting grass when the incident happened. The earth had loosened due to recent rainfall. “While the sisters died on the spot, Saleema was taken to the district hospital, Poonch, from where the doctors referred her to Government Medical College and Hospital (GMC&H),” the husband of the injured said. The district administration has reportedly announced a compensation of Rs 5,000 for the deceased. |
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176 cross LoC
Jammu, July 1 A total of 86 persons entered this side from PoK yesterday, including 60 new visitors, sources said, adding that 26 Indians also returned back after seeing their relatives on the other side of the LoC. Meanwhile, 90 persons entered PoK from this side. Among those who crossed over to the other side included 42 from state. — UNI |
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