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Talks between Guv's panel, samiti put off
The unlucky three in Jammu hostage drama
A file photo of Sandeep Singh, one of the three unfortunate hostages killed in the shootout.
— Tribune photo by Anand Sharma
Security beefed up after terror attack in Chinore
Kashmir-centric parties blamed for terror attack
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NC condemns samiti remarks
Agitation casts shadow on sports activities
Land row crumbles tourism
BJP: Cong politically bankrupt
Uneasy calm prevails in valley, curfew relaxed in phases
Kashmiri protesters burn tyres at the Budshah chowk during the curfew relaxation in Srinagar on Thursday. Tribune photo: Mohd Amin War
Curfew continues in Poonch
Valley operators shut national news channels
Muzaffarabad bus carries 85 passengers
500 trucks reach valley
It’s khaki all over Srinagar
Admn misleading people:
PDP, NC
Terror attack Man-animal conflict on the rise
Community centre inaugurated
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Talks between Guv's panel, samiti put off
Jammu, August 28 "The scheduled round of talks between the samiti and the Governor's panel at Jammu this afternoon has been deferred in view of the indisposition of Adviser to Governor S.S. Bloeria at Srinagar," an official spokesman said. The meeting is likely to take place in Jammu tomorrow, he said. The dialogue between the two sides was all set to resume at Guest House at 4 p.m. today. The samiti, however, was informed in the afternoon that the talks had been deferred. "We have already submitted our demands in writing to the Governor's panel and are expecting a favourable response," said a samiti member. Meanwhile, the samiti has renewed its demand for a high-level inquiry to ascertain the alleged "nexus between the PDP and terror outfits operating from across the border". The samiti said the alleged utterances of the terrorists holed up in the Chinore residence aired on a news channel were "echoing the voices of Mehbooba Mufti, Omar Abdullah and separatists". "The terrorists were talking of the so-called economic blockade and alleged atrocities on Kashmiri people, the issues repeatedly raked up by PDP, NC and Hurriyat leaders," the samiti charged. The samiti expressed deep condolences over the loss of innocent lives during the terror strike yesterday. It demanded adequate compensation and ex gratia for next of the kin of the deceased. |
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The unlucky three in Jammu hostage drama
Jammu, August 28 Terrorist eliminated hostages Ashok Kumar, Sandeep Singh and Territorial Army jawan Sham Murari. Ashok, a resident of Bhaderwah in Doda district, had fled his native place when militants threatened to kill him if he did not join their ranks. A teacher by profession, Ashok was running a coaching centre in the room that he had taken on rent in the house of Billu Ram. He was the sole bread earner in the family. “He used to tell us how he escaped from militants in Bhaderwah who wanted him to join their ranks. However, he managed to escape and established a small coaching centre here,” said Bihsan Kumar a neighbor of Billu Ram. For Sandeep Singh, a bank employee, his curiosity to see why men in police uniform had entered the house of Billu Ram landed him in trouble and he paid the price with his life as militants took him hostage and later killed him. “He was just roaming outside when three men in khaki entered our house, he wanted to see what was going on. The militants then pulled him inside the house and made him sit with them,” said Tarsem who also was taken hostage by the militants and was later rescued by the Army. He said, “They actually wanted him to go out and throw bombs on the security forces deployed outside the house, but when he refused, they killed him.” The third victim, Sham Murari, was a soldier working in the intelligence wing of the Territorial Army. He was the one who followed militants from Mishriwala area where militants opened fire. “He followed them to collect the information but the militants spotted him and dragged him inside the house,” said a senior Army officer.
Hundreds throng site of encounter
Hundreds of people thronged the residence of Billu Ram today to have a look at the site of the encounter. While his home remained out of bounds for the people, as the police had sealed it, the curious onlookers converged on the rooftop of the adjoining house. The bullet marks on the walls of the house and blood stains on its floor were a chilling reminder of the bloody gunbattle that took place between the army and the militants.
The Army has recovered 3 AK-47 rifles, 2 UBGL guns, 502 AK rounds, 20 AK magazines, 12 UBGL grenades, 18 hand grenades, 3 mobile phones, SIM cards, 94 pistol rounds and a night vision devise from the slain militants. Jammu IGP K. Rajindera said though the identity of the slain militants could not be established, the intercepts point towards their links with Lashkar-e-Toiba
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Security beefed up after terror attack in Chinore
Jammu, August 28 Jammu IGP K. Rajindera also said they could not discount the possibility of the presence of more militants in the area. “Police nakas have been strengthened. The frisking and checking of vehicles has also been intensified,” said SP (City) Randeep Singh. He said the police stations have also been asked to monitor the situation round-the-clock in their respective areas. Meanwhile, sources said search and combing operations are also being carried out in different areas. The security has also been tightened in areas along the International Border and
LoC. Some militants sneaked into the Indian territory at Kanachak in Aknoor Sector on Tuesday
morning. Three militants that struck at Chinore residential area yesterday were also suspected to be those who infiltrated from
the border. |
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Kashmir-centric parties blamed for terror attack
Udhampur, August 28 These processions were turned into anti-militant rallies in which large number of Muslims also turned up and denounced terrorist attack at Jammu. The angry mob damaged many vehicles, shouting slogans against separatist and mainstream political parties of Kashmir. They protested against Kashmir-centric parties, the Hurriyat, the NC and the PDP, and alleged that for the past one month, they had launched a vicious campaign and as a result of this campaign, militants targeted the Chinore area of Jammu. A massive protest rally was taken out from Chabotra Chowk, in which hundreds of people were present. Shouting slogans against terrorism, the protesters trooped towards Dhar Road and resorted to pelting stones on vehicles plying on roads. Processions were also taken out from Adrash Colony, Ramnagar Chowk and Slathia Chowk. In these rallies, speakers expressed their anguish over yesterday’s militant attack in Jammu and blamed the separatist and other groups for the same. They said leaders of the Hurriyat Conference had been instigating militant groups to attack Jammu residents for launching movement for the restoration of the land to the shrine board. Similar processions were taken out in the Reasi, Ramnagar, Majalata and Chenani areas also. A large number of Muslims also joined the rallies in which people shouted slogans against militants. |
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NC condemns samiti remarks
Jammu, August 28 In a joint statement NC leaders took strong exception to what they claimed "blatant lie and mischievous" statement of samiti spokesman Narinder Singh where in he had equated party president Omar Abdullah with Mehbooba Mufti and held them responsible for the militant attack in Chinore. Dr Singh should remember that Omar Abdullah was twice attacked by militants and had a narrow escape, they said. |
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Agitation casts shadow on sports activities
Jammu, August 28 In the wake of the samiti’s call for ‘Jail Bharo’ on August 18, the administration converted the stadium into a makeshift jail. Irked over the inadequate arrangements, the agitators reportedly went on a rampage causing extensive damage to the infrastructure of the stadium. The authorities concerned maintained that it would take a good time for the refurbishment. Speaking to The Tribune, sports officer, MA Stadium, Krishan Lal, said, “The players have not been able to attend coaching classes at the stadium.” Those who have conveyance come in the morning for swimming or morning walk besides other exercises, he added. The agitation also cast a shadow on several tournaments scheduled to be held in this month. “The under-19 inter-school tournament for boys and girls in kabaddi, kho-kho and volleyball slated to be commenced on August 18 had to be put on hold in the view of ongoing unrest,” said Tirath Ram, zonal physical education officer, Youth Services and Sports Department. He said inter-zonal, inter-district, inter-division and various state-level tournaments were also postponed. Apart from it, the inter-district cricket and football tournaments scheduled to be held in August, were cancelled, he stated. “Next dates for the said tournaments would be chalked out only after normalcy returns in the region and schools reopen,” he said. |
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Land row crumbles tourism
Jammu, August 28 Inderjeet Khajuria, president, All-Jammu Hotels and Lodges Association
(AJLA), said: “The annual Amarnath Pilgrimage generates huge business for hotels and lodges in June-August every year. Last year, more than 5 lakh tourists, including pilgrims, visited Jammu province during these months and there was 90 to 100 per cent occupancy in all
hotels”. Khajuria said: “This year the number of tourists has declined, resulting in losses to those associated with tourism. Now, no tourists are arriving in the state.” He complained that despite the Central government declaring hotels and lodges as an industry in 2004, no benefits like subsidy on electricity, income tax etc. had been given to them so
far. Khajuria alleged that all the previous governments, while granting packages for the revival of the hotel industry in the Kashmir valley had ignored the hotel industry of Jammu. He demanded parity in the industrial package for Jammu region and Kashmir valley. Meanwhile, employees of hotel industry are reeling under a financial crisis, as they have not received salaries for the past two months. There are around 300 hotels and lodges in the Jammu province in which 6,000 employees are engaged. Denied salary, a section of hotel employees are leaving the state.
D.R. Sharma, president, Hotel Employees Association, Jammu, said: “Around 50,000 employees are connected with the hotel industry in Jammu which includes workers of small dhabas as well. But these employees have not been paid wages for the past two months. They are the sole bread-earners of their families and are on the verge of starvation.” |
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BJP: Cong politically bankrupt
Jammu, August 28 Reacting on the statement of Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi in which he accused the BJP of playing a “negative role” in the Amarnath land row, BJP state vice-president and spokesperson Prof Hari Om said: “Being the largest opposition party, it was BJP’s duty to expose the communal approach of the
Congress to the land diversion issue.” He said: “Had the BJP not supplemented the efforts of the Shri Amarnath Yatra Sangharsh Samiti and joined its land restoration struggle, the BJP would have been regarded as a sinner”. Prof Hari Om said the party felt satisfied that it had played its role in a responsible and constructive manner and had succeeded in exposing the Congress’s communal ideology and its urge to satisfy religious extremists. “The approach of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the Congress towards the Amarnath land row is contradictory. The Prime Minister also appreciated L.K. Advani’s suggestion in the Lok Sabha that the land row should be resolved taking into consideration the High Court's judgments on
the issue. The likes of Singhvi are unnecessarily trying to tarnish BJP’s image”, Prof Hari Om added. |
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Uneasy calm prevails in valley, curfew relaxed in phases
Srinagar, August 28 The process of phased relaxation in curfew restrictions was started on the fourth day yesterday while some areas continued to reel under curfew for more than four days. According to officials, curfew was relaxed in Srinagar city from 10 a.m. to 11.30 a.m. while in the areas falling under Maisuma and Kralkhud police stations the relaxation was from 10 a.m. to 11.30 a.m which was later extended for one hour. It was for the first time that curfew was relaxed in these areas in the heart of the city since Sunday morning. Stray incidents of protests were reported in some localities in these areas, but without any damage, reports said. It was relaxed from 11 a.m. to 12.30. p.m. in the areas falling under the police stations of Saddar, Shergari, Rajbagh, Rambagh, Kothibagh, Khanyar, Rainawari, Nishat and Batmaloo. In the afternoon, the curfew was relaxed from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. in the areas under the Soura, Zakoora, Harwan, Nageen, Lal Bazar, Zadibal and Parimpora police stations and from 5.30 p.m. to 7.30 p.m. in the areas falling under the Rainawari, Khanayar, Nowhatta, Safakadal, Maharaj Ganj and Bemina police stations, excluding Noorbagh police post. The curfew in Shopian district was relaxed from 10 a.m.. to 12 noon and was subsequently extended, in phases, up to 7.30 p.m.. In Ganderbal, the curfew was relaxed from 3 p.m.. to 6 p.m..In Baramula town, the curfew was relaxed from 11.30 a.m. to 1.30 p.m.; in Sopore from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.; in Pattan from 11.30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and from 10 a.m.. to 7 p.m. in Kulgam The Spokesman said that in Anantnag, Pulwama, Pampore and Awantipora the curfew was relaxed from 4 p.m.. to 7 p.m. while in Tral the relaxation in curfew was given from 5 p.m.. to 7 p.m. The curfew was relaxed from 2.30 p.m. to 5 p.m.. in Kupwara. The curfew was also relaxed in Bandipora, Dooru, Chrar-i-Sharief, Kulangam, Chogal, Langate, Chadoora, Magam, Handwara, Qazigund, Kangan and Achabal towns in a phased manner. |
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Curfew continues in Poonch
Jammu, August 28 The curfew, which was imposed in the border town of Poonch in the wake of August 23 communal incidents, is continuing with police and paramilitary troops maintaining law and order, official sources said here. The town and its adjoining villages witnessed violent incidents of arson in which several shops and houses were burnt and some places of worships damaged. Night curfew continued in Kishtwar town as a precautionary measure. The town was rocked by communal clashes on August 12 in which two persons were killed and several injured. Some shops and houses were also burnt there. Elsewhere in Jammu province, normal life was affected due to the closure of shops, markets and commercial establishments. Vehicular traffic was not plying on roads and industrial activity had come to a grinding halt in response to the bandh called by the Amarnath Yatra Sangarsh Samiti, spearheading the ongoing agitation. However, traffic on the national highway from Lakhanpur to Jawahar tunnel in the province was plying normally, sources said.— PTI |
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Valley operators shut national news channels
Srinagar, August 28 Though operators continue to relay entertainment channels but have stopped all news channels. An operator said the national news channels are reporting events in Kashmir with an "Indian interest" while negating the Kashmiri sentiments. Separatist leaders also wanted them to stop relaying national news channels, an official said, and their pressure had worked. "We have cooperated with the state government at all times. During times of snow-tsunami and earthquake we took official messages to people. We told officials that we are not anti-national but they have buckled under pressure of a cartel supported by national channels," Mir Amzad of the Kashmir Cable Operators Association told The Tribune. He said they had taken all channels, including Pakistani and international, off the air and would restore them only when local news channels were allowed. Kashmir-based programmes of some channels, especially English ones like NDTV and CNN-IBN, have come in for praise from the local population as these have attempted to accommodate different kinds of views. However, the fact that even these channels can't go to an extent which local news channels do in projecting separatist views has antagonised many. Besides, local operators argue that cable channels in Jammu were stopped only for a brief period while the ban has been going on in the valley since the start of curfew. Local newspapers also failed to hit the stands for the fifth consecutive day today. Their managements claim that it was because of the security forces' refusal to accept curfew passes of their staffers. But another matter is that printing makes little sense when the possibility of reaching their publications to readers' doorstep is remote due to curfew. An official spokesperson said the government had imposed no restriction on publication, distribution or despatch of newspapers. He said if the newspaper managements required more curfew passes they could always approach the district magistrate for which instructions had been already issued. |
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Muzaffarabad bus carries 85 passengers
Srinagar, August 28 It had facilitated the crossing over of 160 passengers last week after having remained suspended for one Thursday on August 14 after the trouble erupted in Kashmir due to the “Muzaffarabad chalo” rally on August 11. In order to clear the backlog of passengers of August 11, the authorities on either side, had decided to run the bus on August 21. Though the bus service, operational since April 7, 2005, has been running fortnightly, today’s trip has come only after a week’s time. The authorities are also planning to open the 170-km-long road for trade by this October. An official spokesman said here today that 27 passengers tarvelled from Srinagar to PoK, while 58 passengers arrived here from PoK to the valley. |
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500 trucks reach valley
Srinagar, August 28 Out of the fleet of vehicles which arrived here, 87 rice-laden, 17 flour, 5 sheep, 4 fruits, 3 vegetables, 8 sugar, 3 chicken and 294 carried other essential commodities. Besides, 29 tankers with diesel, 12 with kerosene oil, 14 with petrol, 21 with LPG arrived, while three empty trucks also entered the valley at the same time. Similarly, as many as 372 trucks and tankers left the valley for various destinations outside the state. Of these, 68 fruit-laden, 32 vegetables, 40 with |
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It’s khaki all over Srinagar
Srinagar, August 28 The previous curfew imposed during the Amarnath land row had witnessed a number of protests and clashes and the administration then seemed determined of not adding to the public ire by strictly banning any movement. This time, it is obvious, that it is not about the curfew alone, but about emphasising the writ of the state upon an either indifferent or hostile people. “We had to draw a line somewhere. Peaceful protests do not mean that they hoist a Pakistani flag”, a police officer said. He said they wanted to send home this message that the state was not hapless against such mass mobilisation by the separatists. The officer said: “The state administration under Governor N.N. Vohra is of the view that separatists should be given a long rope but things had turned for the worse, almost closing other options but a clampdown.” It is this stern attitude that has not allowed more than two-and-half-hours of curfew relaxation in the past two days despite the capital remaining peaceful. And this aggression is reflected in the behaviour of security personnel who roam about in groups ensuring nobody moves out. The use of force on people violating curfew is commonplace and even those venturing out for genuine reasons like health emergencies have not been spared. It is pertinent to mention that a pregnant woman, Daizy, a resident of Shopian, died on August 25 after she was allegedly stopped by security forces on way to the hospital. The security personnel were reportedly blamed for Daizy’s death. Though officials accepted that the police and paramilitary forces had been overzealous, they said their aim was to enforce law and punish the violators. With this, the magnitude of the defiance of curfew has come down by the day, barring stray cases, as the government has asserted itself. |
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Admn misleading people:
PDP, NC
Srinagar, August 28 “The administration is misleading the people. It is lying at a time when people in the valley are facing a severe shortage of essentials”, PDP general secretary Nizamuddin Bhat and youth-wing general secretary Bashir Assad said in a statement. In a separate statement, NC general secretary Sheikh Nazir Ahmad said people of Poonch, Rajouri, Doda, Kishtwar and Mendhar were “starving” due to non-availability of essentials. “The administration should lift the curfew and ensure availability of essentials in the valley and elsewhere in the state as there is acute shortage”, Sheikh said. The two parties also claimed that hospitals were running short of medicines and medical equipment and demanded the administration to take appropriate measures. — PTI |
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Terror attack Jammu, August 28 If the BSF is in the dock over the infiltration bid during the intervening night of August 25 and 26 in the Kanachak area, the state police also comes under the scanner as heavily-armed militants crossed at least four to five police checkposts of the Kanachak and Domana police stations before carrying out the dastardly attack in the Chinore area. Official sources told The Tribune that after crossing over to this side from the Kanachak sector, suspected Lashkar militants crossed Dak Bungalow, Mishriwalla, Domana, Machine Domana and Raipur check posts, before barging into the house of Billu Ram in Chinore. After the militants had infiltrated from Kanachak, the police did put up additional checkposts, but still they managed to reach Chinore in Bantalab, barely 4 km away from Jammu, they added. Sources said the three militants dressed in police uniforms were headed towards Jammu in an auto-rickshaw (JK02AC/5843), which they had forcibly occupied along with its driver Dharampal, a resident of Lalyal, Mishriwalla. Sources said: “The militants opened fire at a picket outside the JAKLI unit in Mishriwalla. A junior commissioned officer of the 9 Madras Regiment, V.V.K. Prakashnan, chased them on a two-wheeler before he was shot dead”. Sources said the militants reached Chinore where they hired another auto-rickshaw driven by one, Dharampal. Sensing trouble, Dharampal on the pretext of attending to the nature’s call, dodged the ultras and fled from the spot. Subsequently, he informed the Chinore police post about the militants. However, a senior police officer refused to accept that the incident was a security lapse on the police’s part. Speaking on the condition of anonymity, the officer said: “The moment the militants opened fire at Chinore, the police immediately swung into action and returned the fire”. We chased them and additional reinforcements were requisitioned immediately, he added. The officer said: “The militants carried heavy ammunition. By killing them, security forces have avoided a major catastrophe.”
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Man-animal conflict on the rise
Jammu, August 28 The intensity of such conflicts can be gauged from the fact that the Forest and Wildlife Department officials have noticed at least 20 such incidents this month when black bears and leopards had caused fatal causalities after intruding into human habitation. The worst hit areas included Loren, Sabzian and Mandi in Poonch sectors and Uri and Karnah in Kashmir, where the wild animals, apart from attacking humans, had destroyed fruit orchards and maize crop. It was only this week when a seven-year-old Arif Ahmad Mir from Rajpora area of Baramulla district was killed by a man-eater leopard. Confirming the increase in the man-animal conflicts, chief wildlife warden (CWW) A.K. Srivastava told The Tribune that the state Wildlife Department has submitted a comprehensive management plan to the Centre to tackle the challenge, as during the past three years, about 60 people, including women and children were killed and 300 others injured in the wild animal attacks. People also killed some animals in retaliation. Srivastava said prior to the fencing, the wild animals had enough space to move even to the other side of the border. “After the fencing work, movement of the animals got restricted. This could be a reason for them to intrude into human habitation,” he said. The warden said shrinking of the forest area, growth of agriculture land and change in land use pattern could be other
reasons for the increase in the conflicts. Further, due to the global warming, some behavioural changes have also been noticed amongst the species of black bear, which now go
into hibernation only for three months. “Earlier, the hibernation period of such animals used to be at least for six months. Now they frequently move into populated areas in search of food,” Srivastava said. He said the state has formulated a comprehensive management plan to handle the
conflict by strengthening infrastructure facilities and awareness campaigns. Dos and don'ts for people have been issued for preventing man-wildlife conflicts, he said. Srivastava said only those wild animals declared as “man-eaters,” could be shot dead while as the animals are mostly tranquilised and caged. The department, the CWW said, also provides compensation to those who suffer causalities at the hands of animals. The man-animal conflict was
a world-wide phenomenon, he added. |
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Community centre inaugurated
Jammu, August 28 A press statement issued here said it was a long-pending demand of the residents of the area. The community centre will be utilised for organising cultural programmes, festival panchayat meetings and as a rest room. |
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Jammu, August 28
Srinagar, August 28
