Udhampur, August 2
Enraged over the killing of two persons at Samba in police firing, activists of the Shri Amarnath Yatra Sangharsh Samiti today took out massive demonstrations and pelted the police with stones at several places in Udhampur town. At least 30 persons, including a few cops, received injuries in the violent demonstrations.

Protesters ransacked office of the deputy commissioner, Udhampur, and damaged a number of other government buildings.

Carrying the Tricolour in their hands, people took out a massive demonstration this evening in the town and shouted slogans against the Jammu and Kashmir police for killing protesters at Samba. The police resorted to lathicharge and lobbed tear gas shells to disperse the mob which tried to disrupt movement of traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar highway. When the cops tried to stop the protesters, they retaliated by throwing stones.

People pelted only the Jammu and Kashmir Police with stones and welcomed the Army, which was staging a flag march in the town, with pro-India slogans. They, in fact, seemed to be shouting slogans in favour of the Army to tease the local police.

Meanwhile, to lodge a protest against the brutality of the police in Samba town, where two persons were killed in firing, members of the minority community today observed a total shutdown in the Kishtwar and Doda areas. All shops and business establishments of the minority community remained closed at Kishtwar, Thathri, Prem Nagar, Assar and Pul Doda areas.

People took out demonstrations at several places to lodge their protest against police firing in Samba. At Prem Nagar in Doda, residents took out a rally and strongly demanded transfer of land to the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board. In Kishtwar, too, members of the minority community held a demonstration against the authorities for “intentionally killing people to demoralise nationalist forces”.

Jammu, August 2
While the National Conference (NC) leadership is hopeful of an early end to the ongoing turmoil in Jammu, following the announcement by Governor N.N. Vohra regarding reconstitution of the Amarnath Shrine Board, the state unit of the BJP has rejected the Governor’s offer.

NC patron and former chief minister Dr Farooq Abdullah today said he was hopeful that the crisis would be resolved soon. Farooq said: “The Governor’s plan to reconstitute the shrine board by appointing local and state subject citizens as its members would defuse the crisis”.

He said the reconstituted shrine board should be entrusted with the task of managing the entire annual Amarnath yatra. He said it was time for the Amarnath Sangarsh Samiti to accept the Governor’s offer. Farooq said: “When the Governor suggested to the samiti to send a panel of names who could be appointed members of the shrine board, the samiti should have responded favourably”. He suggested that some prominent Kashmiri Pandits should also be appointed members of the shrine board.

However, vice-president of the state unit of the BJP, Prof Hari Om, has rejected the Governor’s offer. In reply to a question, Prof Hari said: “Under the rules, the board has to be reconstituted every three years and hence there is nothing new in the proposal”.

However, he, expressed dismay over the alleged statements made by Kashmiri separatist leaders in which they said if the blockade on the highway was not lifted by protesters, people in the valley may have to bank on the Srinagar-Muzzaffarabad road for trade and travel.

Senior Congress leader Raman Bhalla described the call given by the separatists, including the APHC, to Muslim employees not to move to Jammu during the darbar move in November as “very unfortunate”.

Panthers Party leader Harsh Dev Singh said: “The Governor's offer for reconstituting the shrine board by appointing state subjects as its members should be welcomed”.

Harsh Dev said if the board had local members, any decision could be taken on the spot, instead of waiting for members to come from Mumbai or Delhi to attend the board’s meeting. Harsh Dev said: “If the board comprises local members, there will be no problem in diverting land to the shrine board for setting up prefabricated tents”.

Jammu, August 2
The police today roughed up mediapersons and even refused to consider their identity cards as curfew passes despite the orders of divisional commissioner Sudhanshu Pandey and deputy commissioner Mandeep K Bhandari.

With security forces laying a siege in and around the turmoil-hit city to restore law and order, both the officials yesterday said identity cards of mediapersons would be treated as curfew passes so as to enable them to carry out their duties in turmoil-hit areas.

When asked, the policemen said, “Instructions have come from the top.”

Infuriated over this, several scribes and photojournalists from different organisations staged a sit-in at Bikram Chowk for nearly an hour this morning before being allowed to walk all the way to Circuit House where former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Uma Bharti had to address a press conference.

Giving vent to their ire, mediapersons described the police action as atrocities on media and a direct attack on democracy.

They said imposing restrictions on the movement of media smacked of foul play and men in khakhi had been acting at the behest of top police officers.

“While the city has been converted into a fortress with heavy deployment of the Army, CRPF and police, responsibility of media altogether becomes more important during such demanding situations so as to keep the people abreast with the latest happenings around them,” they said.

Even this correspondent had heated arguments with adamant gun-wielding cops at Rehari Chungi, Bikram Chowk and City Chowk.

They bluntly refused to accept identity card of this correspondent as curfew pass. Attempt to contact the divisional commissioner, deputy commissioner and IGP proved futile.

Jammu, August 2
Even as Congress leaders from the state have castigated PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti for issuing “inflammatory” statements, they have appealed to the Amarnath Sangarsh Samiti not to encourage involvement of any political party in its just cause.

Member legislative council (MLC) R.S. Chib, former ministers - Raman Bhalla, Yogesh Sawhney and Suman, and former MLA Dr Manohar Lal, stated this at a joint press release issued here today.

The Congress leaders warned Mehbooba to refrain from issuing such statements in the future and appealed to the people to maintain communal peace and harmony.

The Congress leaders urged the administration to desist from using force to quell peaceful agitation. They strongly condemned the police for the use of force against mediapersons. — TNS

Jammu, August 2
The BJP today said Governor N.N. Vohra should respect the sentiments of the people of Jammu and restore the forestland to Shri Amarnath Shrine Board to end the impasse over its revocation.

Addressing a press conference here, national general secretary of the BJP Arun Jaitley said, "The Governor should realise the pain behind the agitation of the people of Jammu and should address their sentiments."

The resentment has been deep-rooted among the people of Jammu against the discrimination meted to them, he said, adding that this was, however, the first time that the resentment had come to the fore and people were protesting “vigorously”.

He said his party had overwhelmingly extended its support to the agitation of the people and had not been trying to drive any political mileage out of it. "It is the people's movement and we are a part of it. We don't claim or want to lead it, now the people will decide what way they want to move."

Jammu, August 2
With the Amarnath land row drawing support from various quarters across Jammu, voices of a separate statehood have also started getting stronger than ever before.

Talking to The Tribune, Sanjay Gupta, a law student, said, “Jammu had always been at the receiving end because of Kashmir’s domination.” Despite being larger in area and population, our Assembly and Parliament seats still remain less compared to the valley, he added.

Giving facts, his colleague Pawan Malhotra said, “Jammu has a total area of 28, 293 sq km compared to 15, 948 sq km of Kashmir. Similarly, the valley has 28,83,950 voters while we have 30,59,986 voters but still Jammu region has 37 Assembly seats and Kashmir valley has 46.”

He said not only this valley has three Lok Sabha seats compared to two of Jammu and one cannot deny the fact that Jammu contributes major chunk of revenue to the government than the valley.

However, constitutional experts said to cherish the separate statehood goal, either Article 370 had to be amended or the parties, who favour the move, had to get two-third majority in the state Assembly to act on such move.

Srinagar, August 2
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) today said the agitation in Jammu, having assumed an anti-Kashmiri character with provocative and mindless overtones, was bringing the state at the verge of disintegration.

If not controlled, the agitation would plunge the state into a communal holocaust, PDP general secretary Nizamuddin Bhat said.

Holding responsible the communal elements, Bhat said the attacks on weaker sections and minorities smacks a conspiracy to change the demographic character of Jammu region to the convenience of rabid communalists.

Similarly the economic blockade forced against the traders and labourers of the Valley and attacks on Jammu-based employees from the Kashmir region speak volumes on how the atmosphere was vitiated with the deliberate design of a showdown through vandalism and use of muscle power, he said.

Bhat said in this whole episode, the role of local administration has been criminally partial and rule of law has been allowed to be muzzled by the hooligans who did not even spare the places of worship and personal property of a section from 
Kashmir.

Warning the authorities about the dire consequences of the selective attacks on people of a community and a region, he said it would be too late for the Governor administration to retrieve the situation if the unbridled vandalists were allowed to hold law at ransom.

Describing the reactions from Kashmir region to the unfortunate incidents in Jammu as natural, he appreciated the role 
of the Kashmiri leadership which was showing utmost restraint and added that it was the only silver lining in the whole flare up which was holding the state together in the current scenario. — UNI

Srinagar, August 2
As Jammu continued to simmer over the Amarnath land row, hardline Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani today asked Muslims not to leave the region and lashed out at Hindu outfits for “economic blockade” of the Kashmir valley.

“Muslims of Jammu should stay put in their homes and not even think about migration. This time around they will not be left at the mercy of the rioters”, the separatist leader said in a statement after a meeting with the advisory council of the hardline faction of the Hurriyat here.

Geelani claimed that the protests in Jammu regarding the demand of restoration of land to the Sri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) “had a connection with New Delhi.”

“The people of Jammu, Doda, Rajouri and Poonch are requested to observe a complete shutdown on August 4 to send a message to the rioters”, he said.

Jammu has been rocked by violent protests since July 1 when the Congress-led state government cancelled its May 26 order of diverting nearly 40 hectares of forest land to the SASB, following massive protests in the Kashmir valley and withdrawal of support by the PDP.

Geelani also accused the administration of complete failure in protecting the lives and assets of Muslims in the Jammu region. He said the “economic blockade” of the valley should be eye opener for the people. — PTI

Jammu, August 2
The ongoing Amarnath land row agitation has become one of the biggest movements and has brought to the fore the simmering regional divide between Jammu and Kashmir.

The agitation has turned into a “mass movement” and has witnessed huge participation from people from all walks of life. This is evident from the large number of women and children taking part in protest rallies.

Jammu State Morcha (Progressive) president Virender Gupta today said: “Firstly, people’s religious sentiments are attached to the issue. Secondly, the inept handling of the entire matter by the state authorities and its suppressive ways to curb the agitation has only helped in spreading it”.

Gupta said the “inciting statements” of PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti and NC president Omar Abdullah had also flared up the situation. He said people did not understand the issue in its initial stage, but with the passage of time, there has been a mass awakening over it.

Former Jammu State Morcha MLA Ashwani Kumar Sharma said: “There was pent up anger among the people of Jammu over the discrimination meted out with them in areas like development and employment. However, when it came to their most pious pilgrimage, they could not tolerate it. What you are witnessing on the streets is the manifestation of that very anger”.

Sharma opined that the alleged police brutalities in the aftermath of Kuldeep Dogra's death also led to more support for the agitation.

Terming it a decisive battle for the people of Jammu, Rajinder Jamwal of the People’s Revolutionary Movement said: “It was the result of a six-decade-old exploitative politics of Kashmiri rulers”.

“The resentment was brewing for long and this agitation gave people an outlet to vent out their ire against the bias they have been subjected to for the past many years. This issue has become a question of religious faith, self-respect and identity for the people”, he added.

Jamwal said the statements of Kashmiri leaders had only added insult to the injuries of the people of Jammu.

Jammu, August 2
The non-stop agitation over the Amarnath land row has left a hole in tourists and pilgrims’ pockets. At the railway station, prices of eatables have suddenly shot up and similar was case with the transportation facilities, alleged the tourists.

While matadors and mini-buses have gone off the roads since the Jammu stir took off, autorickshaw drivers are taking an undue advantage of the stir. According to the tourists, drivers have been charging two to three times more the usual fare.

Usha, who had come from Jalandhar, said, “Even though the meter was installed in the autorickshaw, the driver said it was out of order.”

He said he was taking a great risk to help us reach the destination.

At the railway station, a dozen of banana costs Rs 40, which used to be around Rs 20 a few days back while rates of apple have risen from Rs 15 to Rs 30.

Kaushal Arora, who has come along with five family members from Kanpur for a pilgrimage to Vaishno Devi shrine, said they had to buy cold drinks at inflated rates.

Jammu, August 2
Give credit to the strenuous efforts of the State AIDS Prevention and Control Society (SAPCS) or rising awareness among people, the state has the minimum prevalence rate of HIV infection among the general population 
in the country.

Furthermore, the AIDS graph has considerably dropped to 0.3 per cent among high-risk group (truckers, sex workers, drug addicts and STD patients) compared to last year's 0.95 per cent. However, the number of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in the state by the end of June, 2008, has gone up to 1,594 from 1,410 recorded in December, 2007.

Confirming this to The Tribune, SAPCS project director M.A. Wani said: “Among the general population, the prevalence rate has dropped to 0.023 per cent from last year’s .06 per cent, while it has come down to 0.3 per cent from 0.95 per cent among high-risk group (truckers, sex workers, drug addicts and STD patients)”.

Wani said this meant that the general population in the state had not been affected by HIV/AIDS.

Official sources said: “The concerted efforts of the SAPCS since 2001 have started to pay rich dividends as not only the epidemic remains static but the prevalence rate has also dropped among high-risk groups and the general population”. “The detection of 150 to 200 new cases of PLWHA every year in the state is being considered as a success by the SAPCS. This is due to rising awareness among people who regularly visit voluntary testing and counselling centres (VCTCs) to undergo HIV tests”, the sources added.

The sources added” “Since 2001, when the SAPCS initiated its crusade against the deadly disease, 72,000 persons have voluntarily got themselves tested against AIDS through these centres”. Wani said: “Bringing to the surface hidden cases and then covering them under the umbrella of care, support and treatment is a success for the society”. Wani said the organisation had roped in religious leaders to sensitise their respective communities.

“Under the religious advocacy programme, we conducted a training programme for 120 granthis in Nanak Nagar in April last, while 840 Imams have already been trained”, he added.

Jammu, August 2
The number of stray animals in the city has reached an alarming proportion. Stray animals can be seen “ruling the roads” in Janipur, Rehari, Parade, Trikuta Nagar Canal Road, Jewel Chowk or the national highway.

Already overburdened with an increase in the number of vehicles, the city’s traffic also has to grapple with the menace of stray animals. Pedestrians fear for their lives when they spot a bull gazing at them. The population of dogs has also increased at a rapid pace.

“Travelling in two-wheelers is no longer safe and one has to literally flee when chased by stray dogs”, Anil Kumar, a local resident, said.

Anil added, “Schoolchildren live under constant fear of stray dogs. Monkeys constantly knock at the doors of the residents of old city and play havoc when angry”.

Amit Manhas, a student of Science College, Jammu, said: “While crossing the road at the Jewel Chowk, I am more scared of the bull on the road rather than over-speeding vehicles”.

Asha Rani, a resident of Afghan Mohalla, said: “Monkeys play havoc in our area and challenge us in our own houses. They are a constant threat to us. They enter our houses, break utensils, take away eatables and attack anyone who tries to shoo them away”.

Dr. P.R. Bharti, veterinary doctor, Jammu Municipal Corporation, said besides being well equipped, their department was unable to check the menace. He said the two places where they kept stray animals were insufficient to accommodate stray animals of the city.

Bharti said until land was not allotted to the department for accommodating these animals, nothing could be done. He said the defaulters who turnout animals from their homes were liable for punishment along with fine of Rs 100 to Rs 500.

Bharti informed that in order to restrict the increasing number of stray animals, the department along with some NGOs had decided to implement a project of sterilisation of all stray animals.