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Govt: Free flow of traffic on highway
Police lays siege to fruit mandi in Srinagar
Sangharsh samiti to intensify stir
14-hr relaxation in Jammu curfew
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Day VIII: Life
remains paralysed in valley
Shutdowns: People face cash crunch
Curfew imposed in Srinagar
Pandit outfits reject Patil's statement
We were kept away from meet: Gujjars
Time for Farooq, Mehbooba to do some soul searching
All-party Meet
Trade bodies hail samiti stand
Trade on Uri-Muzaffarabad road from October likely
Work allocated to Advisers
Teachers threaten mass leave
Bhim Singh ends hunger strike
Amarnath yatra suspended
BJP: Blockade charge a myth
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Govt: Free flow of traffic on highway
Srinagar, August 11 This information was given to the Governor at a meeting with his Adviser S. S. Bleoria, chief secretary S.S.Kapur, principal secretary (home) Anil Goswami and DGP Kuldeep Khuda here today. The Governor has been personally monitoring the sanitisation of the highway to ensure free vehicular movement, an official spokesman here said. Considering the sporadic attempts of unseemly elements in the Jammu and Kashmir regions to attack or delay trucks and tankers carrying supplies, the Governor directed the Director General of Police to ensure that every district police chief provided effective arrangements for trucks and tankers to be moved in convoys with adequate protection. Each such convoy would be taken over by the respective district superintendents of police along the highway and handed over to the successive district police authorities from Baramula to Lakhanpur. It was also ordered that each range DIG would deploy mobile patrols to ensure that no truck/tanker was stranded on the highway, for whatsoever reason. The zonal IGs wouldbe responsible for supervising these arrangements. It was disclosed that about 2000 trucks had entered the state in the past three days of which 972 had arrived in the valley, carrying goods. About 1800 heavy vehicles had moved out of the state, 263 of them carrying fruits to the plains. As many as 96 trucks carrying fruit crossed Lower Munda on their onward journey. |
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Police lays siege to fruit mandi in Srinagar
Srinagar, August 11 People from densely-populated areas like Bemina and Kamarbari, came out on the roads and pelted stones on the police. The police retaliated by firing tear gas shells as the protesters refused to budge. One person was killed in the incident. In Srinagar, people took out a number of small rallies and shouted separatists’ slogans. It was ironical that the police managed to gain control of the situation in and around the publicised focal point of the agitation, the Parimpora fruit mandi, while they could not manage control in north Kashmir. The city bore a curfew-like silence throughout the day and rumours flew about casualties. “Things are relatively better in Srinagar”, a police official said. However, in downtown city, the hotbed of belligerent youths, again erupted and many were reportedly injured in clashes with the police. But the police primarily succeeded in not allowing a large crowd to converge and march on the highway to Muzaffarabad. A police official said this was something they could not do in north Kashmir. Meanwhile, authorities rushed additional deployments to Baramulla in north Kashmir as the crowds swelled. |
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Sangharsh samiti to intensify stir
Jammu, August 11 Addressing a press conference, Samiti convener Leela Karan Sharma said: “We will hold parallel Independence Day celebrations in different parts of the region. On Raksha Bandhan, people will tie ‘Sankalp Sutras’ and take pledge to continue their struggle till the land is restored to the shrine board”. Sharma said the Samiti would hold a ‘jail bharo andolan’ on August 18. He demanded that the police officials involved in the Samba firing incident be charged with murder. Regarding the talks of the proposal of cancelling all controversial decisions that led to the flare up, Sharma said they had not received any such proposal from the Centre in writing. He said if they received any proposal, they would discuss it with the Samiti members before taking a decision. |
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14-hr relaxation in Jammu curfew
Jammu, August 11 The curfew was relaxed from 5 a.m. to 4 p.m., which was later extended to 7 p.m. It came as a huge respite for the people who were witnessing heavy deployment of forces on the streets and lanes sealed with barbed wires to restrict their movement for the past over a week. Though in view of the bandh call given by the Amarnath Yatra Sangharsh Samiti the shopkeepers kept their shutters down for a better part of the day. The residents came out in large numbers to purchase ration, milk and vegetables. "We were running out of essential commodities as we could not replenish our month's requirement after the curfew was clamped on August 1," said Uttam Kumar, a government employee. "Though the city will observe shutdown till August 14, the relaxation in curfew will at least bring some feeling of normalcy among the people," said Rudra Pratap Singh, a retired bank official. Meanwhile, protests continued in the city for the 19th consecutive day today. The agitators took out rallies in areas like Shastri Nagar and Raghunath Bazar. The curfew was also relaxed in Samba district from 5 a.m. to 11 a.m. and from 7 a.m. to 12 noon in Udhampur district.
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Day VIII: Life
remains paralysed in valley
Srinagar, August 11 Though both the factions of the HC had urged people not to observe any strike, shops and business establishments in the valley remained closed. University, board and other school examinations were postponed as all educational institutions wore a deserted look. The management of hundreds of private schools also decided to keep their institutions shut in view of the tension. Life in the valley has paralysed ever since August 4 due to spontaneous and organised strikes in protest against the economic blockade and alleged attacks on Muslims and Kashmiri drivers in Jammu. Government offices also wore a deserted look as employees could not make it to their respective offices due to non-availability of transport as traffic remained off the roads. Petrol pumps, banks and government-run ration depots also remained closed. Reports of a complete shutdown were also received from all districts and tehsil headquarters in the valley.
— UNI |
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2 boys roughed up for defying curfew
Jammu, August 11 According to Vansh’s father Satish Babbar, Vishal produced curfew pass to policemen. “However, they tore apart the pass and roughed them up with batons, which led to two fractures in the right arm of Vansh and deep muscular injuries to Vishal,” he alleged. According to Vishal, the Army too stopped them at two points, but allowed them to go ahead after making inquiries. The parents of Vansh said the incident had left deep scars on his psyche and he waked up several times during night. “He shivers out of fear and apprehends that the police may enter into his house and beat him up,” his mother said. Satish Babbar also alleged that some unidentified persons had been threatening him of dire consequences. Peer Mitha SHO Shaukat Ahmed said an inquiry into the incident was on and action would be initiated only after its completion. |
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Shutdowns: People face cash crunch
Jammu, August 11 Shortage of money, skyrocketing prices of essential commodities and non-availability/scarcity of essential items in the retail market have paralysed normal "Prices of essential goods have touched the sky. We can't withdraw money due to the closure of ATMs and banks. We are not able to make purchases in desired quantity. Shortage of eatable items has also added to our miseries," said Meenakshi Bhatt, a resident of Barnai. "Imposition of curfew has my brother worried as he has to appear for counselling for admission to MBA in Chandigarh this week" She added. R.C. Makhnotra, a retired government employee, said: "I am sick and hence depend on medicines for survival but due to the closure of banks, I am not able to draw my pension. The situation has forced me to borrow money for the
purpose." Amita Charak from Bari Bhramna said: " The scarcity of petrol and essential articles has left us high and dry." Sumit Gupta rued that many banks are not opening their ATMs despite relaxation in the
curfew. |
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Curfew imposed in Srinagar
Srinagar, August 11 The authorities have also ordered the closure of all educational institutions, including schools and colleges, till August 14. |
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Pandit outfits reject Patil's statement
Jammu, August 11 PKM president Ashwani Kumar Chrungoo and ASKPC chief A.N. Vaishnavi said Patil's statement was tantamount to deviating from the core issue of the restoration of land to the shrine board. "The so-called proposal to cancel the Cabinet decision of land transfer and also that of revocation is also a divergent tactic aimed at subverting the ongoing agitation in Jammu. This proposal to defuse the situation is not only mala fide but also speaks of the government's another meek surrender before Kashmir-based politicians at the cost of the nationalist forces of the state," they said. Both leaders of frontal Kashmir Pandit organisations said the announcement of doles and packages for the Kashmir region by the Union Home Minister in Srinagar yesterday was also a part of the government's appeasement policy, which would further aggravate the situation in the Jammu region. |
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We were kept away from meet: Gujjars
Srinagar, August 11 State president of the Jammu and Kashmir United Front, Mohammad Anwar Chowdhary, in a statement issued here today said: “No one from the Gujjar community of the Jammu region were allowed to meet
Patil”. |
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Time for Farooq, Mehbooba to do some soul searching
Jammu, August 11 The Amarnath Yatra Sangharsh Samiti had put a precondition of keeping PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, National Conference patron Farooq Abdullah and state Congress president Saif-ud-Din Soz out of the delegation. “Those responsible for setting Jammu on fire could not be trusted and the samiti did a right thing when it demanded that they be kept out of the purview of dialogue,” said Neeraj Sharma, a government employee. Sharma also expressed regrets that Prime Minister's all-party meeting had no one from the Jammu region to put forth the issue in right perspective. It appears that the all-party meet followed by all-party delegation by the UPA government was yet another exercise to appease separatists at the cost of nationalist people of Jammu, he added. How people of Jammu could have liked the UPA government’s move, asked Sharma. He accused the PDP, NC and Congress responsible for the present turmoil in the state. City resident Khalid Hussain said, “By including these Kashmiri leaders in the delegation, the UPA government has hurt the sentiments of the people of Jammu.”
The Union government should have at least given it a serious thought before including them in the delegation, he said. Hussain said the Jammu region had always remained a victim of neglect because of New Delhi’s tilt towards the Kashmir valley. “We have been tolerating Kashmir’s hegemony since 1947 and may I tell separatists in the valley that people in Jammu could never be branded as fanatics because of heterogeneous society,” he said. “However, it is high time for leaders like Abdullah, Mehbooba and Soz to give a serious thought and decide whether a stable state is more important or corridors of power,” he added. Airing similar views Ajay Singh, a Jammu University student, said, by showing the door to the Kashmiri leaders, people of Jammu has proved that they were not going to accept those leaders anymore, who maintain double standards. However, another Jammu University student Megha Jamwal said these leaders, particularly Abdullah and Mehbooba had higher stakes in the valley and could not afford to annoy their Kashmir valley vote-banks. “But at the same time seat of power is not important than lives of the people,” she said. “Whatever happened yesterday at the Hari Niwas Palace should be an eye-opener for these leaders of the so-called mainstream parties before it proves too little too late for them,”
she maintained. |
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All-party Meet
Jammu, August 11 A senior BJP leader and another one belonging to the samiti, who were present in the all-party meeting, said their demands included restoration of sovereignty of the shrine board, withdrawal of letter which Governor N.N. Vohra wrote to former chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad in which he stated that the board did not require the land and cancellation of the order under which the land diversion to the board
was revoked. The two leaders said they informed Patil about the various hardships that people in Jammu had been facing due to police excesses. The two leaders said: “Land should be restored to the shrine board. There should be no difficulty in doing so as the board has to be reconstituted as its eight members resigned recently”. They said only the state subjects should be appointed as members of the board. In reply to another question, the two leaders said: “It is the the Centre’s duty and the Union home minister to motivate those who have been opposing restoration of 800 kanals of land to the shrine board”. Both the leaders also made it clear that the agitation would not be called off until their demands were conceded. On being asked whether they are hopeful that the dispute would be resolved they said : “We are optimistic because there is no other solution except restoring land to the board for a period of two months during which it will simply set up prefabricated tents on a temporary basis”. However, they felt dismayed over the way anti-national elements had launched a campaign against the board for having built permanent structures at Baltal when two ‘serais’ were constructed over 25 years ago for pilgrims. |
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Trade bodies hail samiti stand
Jammu, August 11 These organisations also hailed the decision of the sangharsh samiti to continue the present agitation till the land in question was restored to the Amarnath Shrine Board and Governor N.N.Vohra recalled by the Union Government. They contended that the present mass agitation in Jammu, which has support of all sections of the people of Jammu, including Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Christians, was the outburst of pent-up emotions for 60-year-long perpetual discrimination in all the fields hurled on people of the Jammu region. Since 1947 people across the Jammu region had been treated as second-class citizens by the Kashmir-centric leaders, they added. The present agitation in which people at large have made supreme sacrifices should culminate into getting rid of the hegemony of Kashmiri politicians over Jammu and giving Jammu its due share in political power with seats in the Assembly from Jammu increased proportionately to its area, population and keeping in consideration the topography, terrain, accessibility and other set norms, they added. Refuting that the present Jammu agitation in anyway was communal, the trade leaders said that Kashmiri separatists and religious fundamentalists had launched a malicious propaganda in this regard. Despite their provocative statements and acts, the people of Jammu had maintained utmost communal harmony and brotherhood with Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs equally supporting the agitation. Amonth others the meeting was attended by All-Jammu Hotels and Lodges Association president Inderjeet Khajuria, Jammu Prayatan Vikas Mandal president Kuldeep Wahi, Jammu Tourist Trade Employees Federation president Mahesh and nearly 50 representatives of various associations. |
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Trade on Uri-Muzaffarabad road from October likely
Srinagar, August 11 An official spokesperson here last evening said as part of this exercise, a list of large number of items of export had already been passed onto Pakistan and it was up to them to convey their agreement on the list of items to be traded on these routes. The spokesperson said in the recent past, a team of senior central and state government officers had visited Salamabad (Uri) to inspect the facilities being created for the purpose. He expressed the confidence that if all goes well the cross-LoC trade is expected to commence as early as October this year. |
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Work allocated to Advisers
Srinagar, August 11 A Raj Bhavan spokesman said that H.H.Tyabji would look after the Departments of Agriculture Production, Floriculture, Co-operatives, Rural Development, Forests, Fisheries, Environment & Ecology, Animal/Sheep Husbandry, Industries and Commerce, Transport and Tourism. Dr Sudhir S. Bloeria has been assigned the Departments of Home, Revenue & Relief, School Education, Higher & Technical Education, Culture, Social Welfare, Health & Medical Education, Law & Parliamentary Affairs, Elections, Housing & Urban Development and Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution. C. Phunsog would look after the Departments of Finance, Public Enterprises, Planning and Development, Ladakh Affairs, Power Development, Public Works, PHE, Irrigation & Flood Control, Information Technology, Science & Technology, Labour and Employment, and ARI & Training. The business relating to the General Administration, Civil Aviation, Hospitality & Protocol, Estates and Information Departments would be submitted to the Governor through the Chief Secretary, the spokesman said. |
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Teachers threaten mass leave
Jammu, August 11 In a joint meeting of the JK United Teachers' Federation, Jammu, and the Kashmir Teachers' Forum, the Provincial Teachers' Association and the State Teachers' Association, teachers took strong exception to the government order of opening schools from August 11. The meet felt that when the normal life across the region has been completely paralysed amidst Jammu bandh being spearheaded by the Amarnath Yatra Sangharsh Samiti and subsequent curfews, opening schools was not a sane decision. Members said the first day of opening educational institutions witnessed scenes of hooliganism in some of the schools in Jammu city. “The attempts of the authorities to open educational institutions merely to show normalcy on the ground can boomerang with any mishap by the participation of students in the ongoing agitation,” they said. They asked the school education authorities to continue the extension of vacations till amicable negotiated solution was found. The meet also reminded the authorities about college administration, which has already extended the vacations till August 17. In the present scenario if the school education authorities go ahead with its stubborn adamant attitude, the teaching community shall be compelled to proceed on mass casual leave, they said. |
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Bhim Singh ends hunger strike
A party statement issued here said Bhim Singh ended his indefinite hunger strike after he was repeatedly appealed by the national leadership and intellectuals, including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The statement said: “In view of his deteriorating health, the doctors referred him for further treatment at the Escorts Hospital, New Delhi”. Chief spokesman of the party, Harsh Dev Singh said: “Prof Bhim Singh has been operated thrice for his heart ailment and the Panthers Party has been able to persuade him to seek advanced treatment as advised by the doctors”. Harsh Dev said: “Prof Bhim Singh had always championed the cause of the people of Jammu and hence it was necessary that he recovered at the earliest for leading the present agitation to its logical conclusion”. Meanwhile, the JKNPP has decided to continue with its chain hunger strike in support of the movement for the restoration of land to the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board. |
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Amarnath yatra suspended
Jammu, August 11 “The yatra to the Amarnath shrine has been suspended today. No batch was sent from Jammu to the cave shrine,” the police said. There was heavy rains lashing Pahalgam and Baltal sections of Amarnath routes and track had become slippery, they said adding that due to bad weather the yatra was not allowed from Jammu. Over 1,000 pilgrims are staying in Jammu-based Yatri Bhawan base camp for their onward journey to the shrine. Last batch of the pilgrims will leave from here on August 14 for the yatra that conclude on August 16.
— PTI |
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BJP: Blockade charge a myth
Jammu, August 11 "The blockade charge held out by the separatists is a myth concocted by them to distract the people's attention from the Congress government's surrender to separatists,” he said. |
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Jammu, August 11