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Protesters, cops clash in Kathua Amarnath Land Row |
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Jaitley sees ray of hope in land row
Shrine board appeals for peace
Violence leaves security lax
Defective weapons fail charged-up cops
Power crisis hits Rajouri, Poonch
12 militants, 6 jawans killed near LoC
Khadi board to help pashmina shawl units
Strike hits life in valley
Wage board team to visit state from July 24
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Protesters, cops clash in Kathua
Jammu, July 5 Sources said protesters in Kathua gathered on the roads early morning, after which they staged a protest. Trouble broke out when the protesters started heading towards the deputy commissioner’s office. When the police tried to block their way, the protesters pelted stones on them. In retaliation, the police and the CRPF lobbed tear gas shells and also cane-charged them. Following the clash, the police and the CRPF acted tough against those defying the curfew and arrested many protesters. However, D.R. Sharma, ADC, Kathua, said no untoward inicident was reported in the district and the situation was under control. Muthi, which houses the displaced Kashmiri Pandit community, witnessed the most vocal protest, as over 5,000 persons came out on the streets to lodge their resentment against the government’s move. Reports of protests were also received from Janipur and Digiana. M.S. Shaikh, ADC, said the situation was improving in the winter capital. He said the curfew had also been relaxed in some areas. “While it was relaxed in areas like Peer Mitha, Pacca Danga, Bus Stand and Nawabad from 5.30 pm to 6.30 pm, the relaxation in Gandhi Nagar, Trikuta Nagar and Chhani Himmat was between 7 pm and 8.30 pm,” Shaikh added. Meanwhile, the situation was peaceful in the neighbouring Samba district. DC Saurav Bhagat said no violent incident was reported throughout the day. “There was calm along the national highway. People came out in small numbers to lodge their protest, but were persuaded to return by the police. Around 200 persons gathered in Virpur, but the situation was defused in time,” he added. Bhagat said the curfew would be relaxed for a couple of hours in the early morning tomorrow and might be lifted in the evening.
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Amarnath Land Row
Jammu, July 5 Addressing a press conference here today, Rajnath termed the state government's move as "unfortunate and shameful". He said the state government had "no moral or legal authority" to take this decision, as it had lost the majority in the House. "How could a government in minority reverse the decision taken by a majority government," he wondered. "The government has bowed before secessionism. Never before in our country was any facility being provided to any religion opposed," he added. Equally blaming the Congress-led UPA government for the crisis, he claimed that the state government didn't take the decision on its own, but there was also the Centre's consent in it.” The BJP president said the land was transferred to the shrine board in view of its requirements to facilitate smooth pilgrimage for Amarnath yatris. "However, separatists and some Pak-supported elements raised a hue and cry on the issue and it proved enough to scare the Centre as well as the state government, which knelt down before them and revoked the order," he said. Rajnath said he didn't consider the issue pertaining to one religion. "It is an issue linked with the faith of the entire country. Amarnath shrine is a link that ties the rest of the country to Kashmir valley." He also thanked the Muslims who came out against the state government's land revocation order. However, he didn't come clean on his party's stand on the demand for separate statehood for Jammu. Earlier, Rajnath visited those injured in the protest at the Government Medical College and Hospital here. BJP general secretary Arun Jaitley, party's state affairs in charge R.P. Singh and state BJP president Ashok Khajuria were also present.
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Jaitley sees ray of hope in land row
Jammu, July 5 “It is for the first time that the people of Jammu are fighting against discrimination,” Jaitley said, while addressing a gathering at Gita Bhawan here. Criticising the Congress for giving a “separatist” thinking to the people of Kashmir, Jaitley said the slogans raised by the Hurriyat against the Indian Army to vacate the land in the valley, was the result of that negative thinking. Jaitley, who accompanied party president Rajnath Singh during his visit to Jammu, also termed the UPA government's Round Table Conferences on Kashmir issue as “futile exercises.” |
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Shrine board appeals for peace
Srinagar, July 5 The SASB board meeting was held here yesterday under the chairmanship of Governor N.N. Vohra, who expressed hope that the collective resolve and commitment of the people towards maintaning peace and harmony would pave way for a fruitful conduct of the yatra this year. Vohra said the Amarnath pilgrimage had always been a shining symbol of the secular traditions and glorious ethos of the state. Vohra exhorted the board officials to work with devotion to ensure that all facilities were provided to pilgrims. He also called for close synergy between SASB and each of the governmental agencies concerned, which had been providing logistic support for various services during the yatra. The SASB has appointed B.B. Vyas, principal secretary to the Governor, as its chief executive officer (CEO). Vyas replaces former principal secretary, as also the CEO, Arun Kumar, who was shifted, following protests over the controversial land transfer order. Arun Kumar has been attached with the General Administration Department (GAD) for violating the provisions of the All-India Services (Conduct) Rules.
Azad meets Guv
Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad today called on Governor N. N. Vohra at Raj Bhavan and briefed him about the law and order situation in the state. The meeting lasted for about two hours, an official spokesman said. The Governor and the Chief Minister appealed to the people of the sate to maintain peace. They stressed on restoration of normalcy and urged political leaders to rise to the occasion and help in restoring law and order. Describing the people of Jammu and Kashmir as inheritors of a glorious ethos, the Governor lauded them for withstanding the tests of time and maintaining pluralistic character of the state despite provocations by certain vested interests. |
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Violence leaves security lax
Pahalgam, July 5 As compared to previous years, the scene is quite different at the entry point to
Pahalgam, where police and security forces have been deployed to ensure safety to Amarnath pilgrims. This tourist spot serves as the traditional base for the pilgrimage where a base camp at
Nunwan, has been set up for the pilgrims. Everyday thousands of pilgrims arrive in convoys of vehicles under security cover and get lodged at the Nunwan base camp, while they proceed for the yatra next morning. The police assisted by CRPF men at Serbal check post, five kms short of
Pahalgam, have been deployed to check local vehicles and passengers on way to the town. About 200 yards away near Serbal bridge, policemen divert local traffic via the Circuit Road through Ganeshbal village. Meanwhile, all private, public and other vehicles are only allowed downward movement from Pahalgam town. The base camp has a capacity of about 10,000 persons. Police personnel deployed at the base camps said
labourers, ponywallahs, dandiwallahs or roadside vendours had benefited during the
yatra. “These people are hardly worried about the political crisis prevailing over the past about 10 days on the land transfer row,” an official said. But, the crisis had already taken its toll as the number of pilgrims has decreased during the past few days. |
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Defective weapons fail charged-up cops
Jammu, July 5 Due to an upsurge in violent protests against the revocation of forest land transfer orders, tear gas shells were fired at protesting mobs to quell violence, but they failed to ignite. In pitched battles between the protesters and the police, cops armed with batons, automatic guns, bullets and tear gas shells by and large relied upon baton-charge and tear gas shells. A police officer said, “As weapons are not regularly used, moisture affects tear gas shells, making them redundant. In some cases where tear gas shells are misfired, the pin of the tear gas gun fails to hit the shell properly and consequently fails to ignite,” he said. Normally, one portion of the shell has to hit the intended target and the remaining empty part has to fall back, similar to cartridges, but in such cases the entire shell misfires as the pin fails to hit properly and the shell goes off being getting ignited, he added. In the past few days of protests in and around Jammu, though cops fired tear gas shells, only a few exploded. A photographer at Chinore near Ban Talab, where the police fired tear gas shells on protesters, said, “Only two or three out of the 10 shells exploded while others failed to ignite.” “The cops fired around 40 to 50 shells but only a few exploded,” he said. Not only it is abysmal on part of the police, the misfire put cops in a dangerous position as the mob retaliated more furiously, he added.
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Power crisis hits Rajouri, Poonch
Rajouri, July 5 The PDD had shut the power supply to Jammu, Rajouri and Poonch areas following damage to two transformers at Gladni Grid Station on July 2. Many areas of Jammu and entire Rajouri and Poonch get power supply from Gladni Grid Station and due to the damage about 50 per cent of the power supply to the region has been affected. To cope up with the situation, the department had contemplated enforcing power curtailments ranging between 10 to 15 hours a day on rotational basis. The residents of Rajouri and Poonch districts have alleged that since the power was partially restored, the department’s “priority” has been to supply power to Jammu than to Rajouri and Poonch districts. They further alleged that even as the department restored the power supply to Jammu the next day and was continuing to do so as per the plan, it had failed to supply the promised quota of power to Rajouri and Poonch districts. “Though the department had promised to supply power on rotational basis between Jammu, Rajouri and Poonch, it is supplying the share of Rajouri and Poonch districts to Jammu,” said Nishikant Saraf, resident and a social worker. “Since the department has supplied power to Rajouri and Poonch for just three hours in the last two days, people are facing trying times due to humid weather conditions,” he added. The chief engineer of the PDD couldn’t be contacted. |
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12 militants, 6 jawans killed near LoC
Srinagar, July 5 In all, 12 militants and six security forces personnel have been killed in various encounters going on in the areas between Patri Behak, Badibehak and Roshan Post during the past few days, a police spokesman here said. Meanwhile, one person, Ghulam Mohiuddin, was killed when fired upon by unidentified gunmen at Hard Shiva in Baramulla district yesterday.
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Khadi board to help pashmina shawl units
Srinagar, July 5 “The CFC will be opened at Bandipora in the Kashmir valley and at Basholi in Jammu, to assist pashmina shawl weaving units,” R.C. Sharma, secretary and chief executive officer (CEO), KVIB, said today. Sharma said pashmina shawls were extremely popular not only in India but the world over. Sharma said the project would cost about Rs 2.5 million, out of which 75 per cent would be given by the government, while implementing agencies would contribute the remaining amount. While asserting facilities being provided by the centres, Sharma said the wages of weavers would be increased from Rs 50 to Rs 120. Previously, an artisan earned Rs 300 for an ordinary shawl at Basholi, whereas now they would receive about Rs 450. Similarly, at Bandipora, artisans would earn Rs 500 to 1,200 depending upon the yarn the CFC’s have. People working in product development would have a benefit of 50 to 60 per cent. Nearly 1,200 weavers and 3,800 spinners would avail facilities in CFC.
— UNI |
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Strike hits life in valley
Srinagar, July 5 Senior APHC leader Shabir Ahmad Shah was among the injured as the police resorted to lathicharge and lobbed tear gas shells. The bandh was also in protest against restrictions imposed on APHC leaders Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Syed Ali Shah Geelani, who were prevented from moving to Hazratbal and were kept under house arrest. All shops and business establishments remained closed and traffic was off roads. Government offices were, however, closed on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Guru Hargobind, the sixth Guru of the Khalsa Panth. A general strike was also observed in other major towns of the valley, including Anantnag, Sopore and Kupwara. Shops and business establishments remained closed and thin transport plied on the roads. |
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Wage board team to visit state from July 24
Srinagar, July 5 An official spokesman here said the agenda points included status of implementation of recommendations of the Fifth (Manisana) Wage Board, response to the notice of the current wage boards published in the newspapers on November 24, 2007, demand for interim relief with economic justification, ability of employer to pay the said demand, suggestions regarding amendments to the Working Journalists and Other Newspaper Employees (Conditions of Service) and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1955, financial health of newspaper establishments - past, present and future; its likely growth/improvement in the health status in the next five to 10 years; and present job classification in the newspaper in respect of both journalists and non-journalists, and their respective duties, and their corresponding salary structure and the extent of contract appointments in your establishments. The team would be at Jammu from July 24 to July 27 for discussions and meetings with stakeholders of the newspaper industry of Jammu. It would also visit Srinagar on August 6. The team has proposed meetings with the Chief Minister, minister for labour and employment and chief secretary on August 8, the spokesman added.
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