Jammu, August 26
A red alert has been sounded in the entire Jammu region after a group of heavily armed infiltrators managed to sneak into India from across the border in the Kanachak area in the Akhnoor sector of Jammu district.

A group of around 25 to 30 heavily armed militants late last night attacked a forward post of the BSF near the Kanachak international border. The firing lasted more than two hours in which a few infiltrators managed to cut the border fence and infiltrate into Indian side.

BSF DIG J.B Sangwan did not rule out the involvement of Pakistani troops in the firing from across the border to help the militants sneak into India. Meanwhile defence sources informed that the militants had managed to cut three feet of the barbered fence to sneak into the Indian side.

It is the second infiltration attempt in the Jammu region since May this year. Earlier, a group of infiltrators managed to sneak into Indian side from the Samba sector. Eight persons were killed in an encounter with these infiltrators.

The security forces apprehend that the infiltrators would try to take advantage of the ongoing unrest in Jammu and target innocent people.

"We have reports that three or four heavily armed terrorists have managed to infiltrate into our side from Kanachak. These militants can take advantage of the ongoing unrest in the region and attack protesters in Jammu to inflict maximum causalities," Jammu range IG K. Rajendra told The Tribune. However, sources say the number of infiltrators could be higher than that claimed by the security forces.

"We are on a high alert as the aim of the terrorists would be to inflict maximum damage and they can resort to mass killings. They can even target tomorrow's Jammu rally."

Rajendra said a massive manhunt had been launched by the police, Army and the BSF to nab these militants. 

Jammu, August 26
Even as over 500 employees of the civil secretariat left for Srinagar in 12 SRTC buses amidst tight security today morning, nearly 1,000 others are in a dilemma as to how to resume their duties in turbulent valley of Kashmir.

It may be recalled here that on August 12, a day after the ‘Muzzaffarabad march’, hundreds of civil secretariat employees from Jammu region had proceeded on leave and fled the valley in the wake of threat perception to their life.

Talking to The Tribune, a delegation of the secretariat employees belonging to the minority community alleged that they were pressurised by some senior officials and heads of different departments to resume their duties. Later, 12 SRTC buses escorted by three police vehicles ferried over 500 employees to Srinagar today.

However, the administration did not deem it fit to inform the employees via media and only some of us living in Jammu city were taken to Srinagar, they added. The civil secretariat has employees from districts like Kathua, Poonch, Doda and Khour.

“Though over 500 employees left for Srinagar, under prevailing situation in the valley, where pro-freedom and anti-India voices are the order of the day, anything could happen,” they said.

“We still remember nightmarish experiences when certain mischievous elements at the behest of fanatics issued diktats asking non-Kashmiris to leave the valley,” they added.

“We agree that our leave has exhausted, but first normalcy should be restored so as to pave way for our return,” they said.

“Despite expressing our inability to resume duties under prevailing unrest in the valley, some officers still want us to return,” they said.

They claimed that no specific measures have been initiated to ensure their safety in the Kashmir valley.

A female employee among the delegation said: “When I called up a police officer in Srinagar, he apprised me about the present situation and advised me not to return till normalcy is restored.”

Another employee said, “The situation is still volatile and going back to the valley may land us in trouble.”

Jammu divisional commissioner Sudhanshu Pandey said: “After their leave exhausted, these employees from Jammu region approached the administration requesting us to arrange transport facility so as to enable them resume their duties in Srinagar.

“We had asked for a list and they had given names of around 500 employees. Subsequently, we arranged 12 SRTC buses,” he added.

Srinagar, August 26
The imposition of curfew has hit patients admitted in various hospitals in the city, who claim they are facing difficulties due to depleting stocks of medicine and food.

The situation is worrisome for more than 2,000 patients admitted to the Lal Ded Maternity Hospital, SMHS hospital, super-speciality SKIMS Hospital and G B Pant Children's Hospital where  attendants claimed that they had no  food or medicine for their patients since yesterday.

Hospital officials, however, claimed that “There was nothing to worry about food and medicines” but added they needed to be stocked up immediately.

The relatives of patients pointed to their difficulties in getting medicines for their loved ones.

“We have no food, no medicines ... even if it were available, we have no money to buy them,” said Abdul Ahad, whose wife is admitted to Lal Ded maternity hospital.

Aashiq Hussain Bhat, whose sister delivered a baby at a private hospital in Rajbagh area on Saturday, said he lived just few blocks down the hospital but he had not been able to get the necessary items for the mother and newborn  due to the curfew.

Many patients in need of immediate treatment at super-speciality SKIMS hospital are leaving the hospital  allegedly due to non-availability of  doctors and staff.

“My father needs an immediate replacement of a heart valve. Since the doctors are not available, we have decided now to go to Delhi for the same,” Zahoor Ahmad Shah, a resident of downtown city, said. — PTI

Jammu, August 26
Tension prevailed in Poonch district as curfew continued for the second consecutive day today.

The authorities had clamped an indefinite curfew in Poonch, following violent clashes between members of the two communities, in which more than 70 people were injured and more than 80 shops were set ablaze.

An official spokesman said no relaxation in curfew was given in Poonch as tension prevailed in the region.

Bandh passes off peacefully

UDHAMPUR: In response to the call of the Hurriyat Conference, some members of the majority community observed a shutdown in the Kishtwar, Doda and Bhaderwah areas.

Although the bandh passed off peacefully in these areas, adequate security arrangements were made to avoid any untoward incident. In violence hit Kishtwar town, large numbers of cops were deployed in the sensitive areas. Throughout the day, security forces patrol the sensitive pockets of Doda and Kishtwar districts.

Jammu, August 26
Though there was a decline in the level of violence today, the protesters clashed with the police, pelting stones at cops, in the Purani Mandi area of the city.

The protesters took to the streets during the day and started pelting stones at the police, who resorted to tear gas shelling to disperse the mob. The clash lasted quite some time, as the agitators kept coming out from narrow bylanes of the area, attacking the police with stones and bricks. They were apparently angry over the alleged police excesses on the people in the Nai Basti and Digiana areas yesterday.

"It would be better if the cops don't interfere in our protests. If they repeat what they did yesterday then we would indulge in more violence," warned Vijay, a protester.

The agitators from Muthi and Mishriwala on the city's outskirts blocked the Jammu-Akhnoor road at two spots for a couple of hours. The protesters raised slogans against PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti and National Conference president Omar Abdullah.

The situation was by and large peaceful in Kathua district where the protesters had a violent clash with the police yesterday. The people there today took out protest demonstrations, seeking restoration of the land to the Amarnath Shrine Board. Unconfirmed reports said the authorities this morning lifted the curfew, which was imposed after the clash yesterday,

Meanwhile, tight security arrangements have been made for the Amarnath Yatra Sangharsh Samiti's rally at Parade Ground at 4 p.m. here tomorrow in which thousands of people are expected to take part. 

Jammu, August 26
In the wake of the Amarnath land row agitation, while some private schools are giving assignments to their students studying in class X and XII through print and electronic media, the government authorities seem least bothered about the loss of precious time of the students.

The schools and colleges here have been closed for the past over 55 days. The  students who, otherwise, would have  completed a major bulk of their syllabus have not been able to complete 25 per cent of it.

And with only six months left for the annual examinations to start, it will be very difficult for schools to complete the remaining syllabus.

The students will be subjected to tremendous mental pressure on this account.

Anita Sethi, a class X student said: “I am worried for my career. I have yet to finish my whole syllabus as the schools are closed. I could not attend my tuition classes as well, which has put me under a lot of mental pressure.”

“Only 30 per cent of the syllabus has been completed in the schools. The government should take urgent measures to resolve the crisis and pave way for opening of schools at the earliest”, Lakshmi Rajput, class XII student, said.

Another class XII student, Suheel Pandita, said: “A tough academic year lies ahead of us. I do not know how our teachers will complete the syllabus. We will have to burn midnight oil to complete our syllabus, besides prepare for the entrance exams which are equally important.”

Meanwhile, repeated attempts to contact the director, school education and the chief education, officer proved futile.

Jammu, August 26
The Jammu State Morcha (Progressive) has strongly condemned Kashmir-centric politicians, particularly PDP president Mehbooba Mufti for her irresponsible utterances on the Amarnath Shrine Board land row.

In a statement issued here today, party leaders, including president Virender Gupta, said Mehbooba and her father, Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, were the "architects of the entire game plan". First PDP ministers were party to the land diversion order and then the PDP raised the bogey of demographic change of Kashmir just to garner votes of Kashmiris in the forthcoming Assembly elections. Unfortunately their entire game plan had now backfired and they now stood exposed. The PDP tried to foment communal divide in the state, they said.

"The way Mehbooba is defending her former ministers Muzaffar Hussain Beig Qazi Mohammed Afzal shows their complicity in this game plan hatched by the father and daughter duo. Had they (Beig and Qazi) not been not acting on the orders of Muftis then by now they would have been expelled from the PDP."

After having failed to convince the entire nation on their stand regarding the Amaranth Shrine Board land, PDP and NC leaders like Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah had now resorted to a disinformation campaign by insinuating the bogey of economic blockade and safety of the Gujjars in Jammu.

The morcha also condemned the alleged police action of breaking into houses and assaulting women and children in the Digiana, Shakti Nagar, Hiranagar and Kathua areas yesterday during “chakka jam” agitation.

"It is surprising that anti-national forces in the valley are allowed a free hand while innocent women and children of the Jammu region are harassed. The government is scared to detain Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, who openly proclaims he is a Pakistani and preaches sedition, under the Public Safety Act while it has been slapped on Swami Dinesh Bharti and a 19-year-old youth Dalip Kumar of Hiranagar merely for pelting stones," they said.

Srinagar, August 26
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned the curbs imposed by the administration on the local electronic and print media in the Kashmir valley.

A PDP spokesman criticised banning the telecast of the local news channels. “Ironically, even the curfew passes issued to the local journalists are treated with contempt by the law enforcing agencies discouraging the media fraternity from performing their professional duties,” he said, adding that the double-standards of the administration in dealing with the situation in the two regions of the state have not even spared the media here.

Condemning the unwarranted use of force against the journalists at various places in Srinagar and other parts of the valley while covering the recent protests, the spokesman said the Kashmir-based mediapersons deserve great tributes for performing their duties against heaviest odds amidst trying circumstances.

Jammu, August 26
Even as the 72-hour deadline set by the Governor's panel to get back to the Amarnath Yatra Sangharsh Samiti on the latter's draft proposals ends tonight, the samiti seems to be in no mood to let the positive developments in the dialogue process take a toll on its agitation.

Immediately after the third round of talks with the Governor's panel on Saturday ended without an outcome, Brig Suchet Singh of the samiti told the media that they would continue the agitation till the land was restored to the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board.

The samiti not only went ahead with announcing its programme for the coming week on the very next day of the talks but also put the dialogue process in a limbo yesterday. Alleging police excesses, the samiti last night made it clear to the government that it would not continue talks with the Governor's panel until Jammu IGP K. Rajendra, newly appointed Jammu SSP Manohar Singh and Kathua SSP S.P. Pani are shifted.

The samiti charged that police and RAF personnel "unleashed a reign of terror on the residents of Nai Basti yesterday and damaged over 100 private vehicles". "They burst tear gas shells inside houses. They also used force on the protesters and innocent people in their houses, injuring many, including a four-year-old girl," the samiti alleged.

The samiti's “chakka jam” call for August 25 also evoked an overwhelming response with none of the vehicles, except for that of the media and ambulances, plying in the city Interestingly, despite the region reeling under 55 days of protest and 36 days of successive shutdown, the people here are backing the samiti to the hilt.

"After making the Centre realise that Jammu can no more be ignored, it is time to put up a show of strength so that the powers that be get the message that we would not rest till land is restored to the shrine board," said Rajesh Gupta, a trader.

Jammu, August 26
Power crisis in Jammu is expected to end within next 20 days after another 133 MVA transformer becomes functional at the Gladini grid station.

The districts of Jammu, Poonch and Rajouri had to bear the brunt of acute power shortage, which warranted 12 to 15-hour power cuts a day during the last two months, when two transformers were damaged. Both these transformers had to be sent to Jhansi for repair.

Power commissioner R.K. Seli said the power supply position had improved as a 155-MVA transformer purchased from Patna had been installed at the Gladini grid station nine days ago.

He said after the fourth transformer was installed, the capacity of the Gladini grid station would increase from 400 to 550 MVA.

He said once the capacity was enhanced, there would be no power cuts in areas where electronic meters had been installed.

Another senior engineer of the Power Development Department (PDD) said as a result of damage to the two transformers, the power tariff revenue had registered a fall of 20 per cent because of prolonged power cuts. 

Udhampur, August 26
Tension flared up in Udhampur as protesters turned violent and smashed windowpanes of a number of vehicles. An unruly mob also ransacked a government-run floor mill on the outskirts of Udhampur town.

As a part of the ongoing agitation over the Amarnath land row, a large number of people took out a rally in Udhampur town which started from Dabbar Chowk and passed through various areas. As the protesters tried to troop towards the Jammu-Srinagar national highway, they were stopped. The police with the help of the Army has erected some barricades to foil any attempt to stage dharnas or block traffic on the highway.

Following their failure to block vehicular traffic on the highway, the people then marched towards Dhar Road, shouting slogans against the authorities for not restoring land to the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board. While people were taking out the protest rally, some of the protesters pelted stones on vehicles. Miscreants also smashed windowpanes of some vehicles with rods. On the other hand, some youths stormed into a floor mill. They ransacked this government-run floor mill at Battalbalian and smashed its windowpanes. Protesters pelted stones on the buildings but ran away as the police reached the spot.

Meanwhile like other parts of the Jammu region, Udhampur town observed total shutdown on the 35th successive day today. All shops and business establishments remained closed and small rallies were taken out from different localities. A bandh was also observed in various towns, namely Ramnagar, Majalata, Chenani, Kud etc.