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Shutdown in Kashmir Lal Chowk in Srinagar wears a deserted look in view of an undeclared curfew owning to heavy police deployment to thwart anti-poll protests on Friday. Tribune photo: Amin War
High alert after Mumbai attacks
BJP politicising terror: Rahul
Supporters surround Rahul Gandhi during an election campaign at Udhampur on Friday. Tribune photo: Anand Sharma |
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Industry pins hopes on new govt
Ideological fault lines haunt separatists
Kathua: Ex-bureaucrat, BSP candidate better placed
Parties field fewer women
Kashmiri Pandits gear up for polls
Farooq assures 33 pc quota to women
Two ultras killed in Pulwama
Polls slow down drive against adulteration
Shakti Dal merges with NCP
It’s neck and neck in Handwara
Campaign ends in Kupwara
Shiv Sena Hindustan names candidate
Quality seed programme
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Shutdown in Kashmir
Srinagar, November 28 Very much like previous Fridays, commercial establishments, schools and colleges remained closed even as the committee asked for post-afternoon protests following Friday prayers. Wary shopkeepers and citizens preferred to remain indoors and even localities rife with separatist supporters have been quieter for some weeks in Srinagar as the security forces have displayed little tolerance for any public protests. Reports said there were protests in Baramulla and Sopore and over 30 persons, including 10 security personnel, were injured in clashes. Security personnel fired tear gas shells at the crowd. Baramulla has been volatile for a week since two youths were killed in firing. Many people said the administration also used forceful methods to impose a state of curfew in towns to avoid any big gathering. "If a few persons move together, they are questioned and at times harassed by policemen. It's better to remain indoor," Shaqil Ahmed, a resident of Anantnag, said. The ever-decreasing temperature in the valley has also been a factor for families remaining in the cosy confines of their homes. Transport services were also crippled in the strike.
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High alert after Mumbai attacks
Jammu, November 28 A senior Army officer said: " Late last night Pakistani troops started indiscriminate fire on some of our positions in the Tarkundi belt along the LoC in Poonch district." According to army sources, the aim was to facilitate the infiltration of terrorists from across the LoC. "The second ceasefire violation within less than 24 hours depicts their desperation to push in trained terrorists into our territory as early as possible as snow would block many of the infiltrating routes in the valley within a few days." the officer said. The officer said the Army did not retaliate to the 'provocative' fire that lasted more than one hour. Meanwhile, the BSF has intensified vigil after the terrorist attack in Mumbai. "We have intensified vigil along the border to foil any infiltration bid by terrorists aimed at disrupting the ongoing elections," BSF IG (Frontiers) A. K. Surollia said. The BSF had deployed more than 145 companies in and around Jammu to facilitate the smooth conduct of assembly elections. A high alert has been sounded in the state in the wake of the Mumbai terror attack, with the authorities continuously reviewing the security situation. According to the police, round-the-clock vigil has been enforced in the city. Reports suggest that DGP Kuldeep Khoda reviewed the law and order situation at a high-level meeting.
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BJP politicising terror: Rahul
Udhampur, November 28 Reiterating commitment of the UPA regime to curb militancy, Rahul Gandhi minced no words in attacking the BJP for exploiting terrorism to garner public support and chided the saffron party for giving in to terrorism when it was heading the NDA regime. Taking the BJP to task for politicising terrorism, the Congress leader said: "BJP leaders are repeatedly telling the people that the UPA regime is soft towards terrorism but it is a reality that only Congress regimes have dealt with militancy effectively in different parts of the country", he said, adding that "the people of Jammu and Kashmir are very much aware that it was during the regime of Ghulam Nabi Azad that terrorism was curbed ". Trying to take the credit for the prevailing peace in Jammu and Kashmir, Gandhi said the Congress-led regime was fighting two battles simultaneously. "On the one hand Ghulam Nabi Azad battled with terrorism and on the other the government effectively fought poverty", he claimed and asked the people to compare the performance of Congress governments with that of BJP regimes in different parts of the country. The AICC general secretary, who was here to garner support for party candidates, repeatedly attacked the BJP and highlighted achievements of the Congress-led UPA government at Delhi. Bring Cong to power
for peace
Srinagar: Addressing a rally Rahul Gandhi today denounced terrorism and recalled his family’s long relations with the state. Rahul Gandhi urged voters to give a clear majority to his party to enable “over-all development, peace and prosperity” and help fight terrorism. Rahul was addressing the election meetings at Karnah in Tangdhar area of Kupwara districts in Kashmir and Udhampur in Jammu region today. He campaigned for Congress candidate Mohammad Yasin Shah in Karnah constituency of Kupwara district that goes to the polls in the third phase on November 30. In his address at Karnah, Rahul Gandhi asked the people to vote for the party candidate as the Congress was the only party with a solution to all problems. |
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Jamaat condemns Mumbai attacks
Srinagar, November 28 In a statement here today, a spokesman of the Jamaat-e-Islami said that it treated every kind of terrorist act as “anti-human” and against the basic principles of Islam. It “never justifies the killing of an innocent individual”, the spokesman said, adding that to attribute such acts to Islam or Muslims was “injustice and inequality”. Expressing solidarity with the kin of those killed and injured in these incidents it described those involved in the terrorist incidents as the “real foes of humanity”.
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Industry pins hopes on new govt
Jammu, November 28 The industry here is passing probably through its worst phase ever these days. The nightmare for the industry began with the Centre withdrawing excise incentives extended to it till 2012. Close on the heels of this jolt came a severe power crisis due to the breakdown in Gladini powergrid station. Coinciding with it was the two-month-long Amarnath land agitation, which saw closure of the industry for many days in succession and also the exodus of migrant labourers engaged in local industrial units. The things were hardly back to normal when Kashmiri traders snapped trade ties with their Jammu counterparts, which took a heavy toll on inter-regional trade. The financial slowdown then hit the global economy, aggravating the situation further. As former Federation of Industries Chairman Annil Suri says: “The developments in the past few months have pushed the Jammu industry five years back.” He said the biggest challenge for the new government would be to retain the industry and restore the confidence of entrepreneurs who have made investment in the state. Kuldeep Jamwal of the Industries’ Association, Samba, said their only issue during the election season was restoration of the Central excise package. “Whichever party comes to power it should ensure that the industry gets the package back. Its withdrawal has hit the industry hard, as no new industry is coming up in the area now. Not even a single unit has come to the state after April 1, 2008,” he said. The Central excise package was extended to the state till 2012, but was abruptly withdrawn four years before its scheduled time, he lamented. Another demand doing the rounds in the industry is uninterrupted power supply to the sector. “The entire phase II in the Samba industrial area has been running on generator sets, which is not at all cost-effective,” said sources. Meanwhile, the CII, Northern Region, has released a ‘common minimum programme’ for the next government. The CII has sought revival of the excise exemption package and round-the-clock power to the industrial areas of the state and to all units functioning on generator sets on a priority basis. The other points of the programme include rapid industrialisation, corruption-free and efficient district industry centres, electricity reforms and privatisation of power distribution, setting up of IITs and IIMs in the state, impetus to e-governance and equal opportunities for all regions. |
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Ideological fault lines haunt separatists
Srinagar, November 28 The Hurriyat faction led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, whose flexible approach and past dialogues with the Indian government has often been mocked by a puritanical Geelani, joined issue today and defended the People’s Conference, without naming, though, either of the two feuding leaders. A Hurriyat spokesman said the People’s Conference had offered a lot of sacrifice in the “freedom movement”, highlighting the killing of Abdul Gani Lone, a leading separatist leader and Sajad’s father, who was gunned down by militants on May 21, 2002. “Vested interests are out to create division in our ranks,” he said while asking both leaders not to indulge in allegations and counter-allegations.. Many are surprised as to what provoked Geelani to snipe at Bilal Lone, elder brother of Sajad and a member of Mirwaiz’s Hurriyat. This provoked Sajad into launching a full-blown attack on the ageing leader where he swore upon Koran to bare his heart. Sources in the separatist camp said Sajad, more influential of the two brothers and a supporter of conditional talks with India, had been more sincere about the boycott campaign this time than in the previous elections and would in no way want his elder sister, Shabnam Lone, fighting from Kupwara, to win as both bank upon the same political base. They said he had indirectly propped up at least four candidates in five Kupwara constituencies last time and one of them, Ghulam Mohiuddinn Sofi, had won from Handwara. “I don’t think he was doing the same thing this time. Besides, there was no reason for Geelani sahib to go public,” a senior separatist leader said. Geelani said Sofi, who is again fighting as an Independent, Shabnam Lone and Abdul Rashid Sheikh, who is contesting from Langate, were banking upon People’s Conference support. Sources said one of the major reasons behind Geelani’s attack on Sajad was that some of the most strident public criticism had come from those linked closely with him. |
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Kathua: Ex-bureaucrat, BSP candidate better placed
Jammu, November 28 Kathua with roughly 1.10 lakh electors goes to the polls on December 13 . Strong wave in favour of these two potential candidates has already started giving hiccups to parties like the Congress, BJP, Panthers Party and the National Conference. While the sentiment associated with the Amarnath land agitation has almost fizzled out, the tilt towards Charanjeet Singh and Som Raj Majotra was clearly visible in Kathua where the common people want employment, water, electricity, healthcare, education and better roads etc. It may be stated here that out of 1.10 lakh voters, Kathua has around 39,000 electors belonging to the weaker sections of society. Hence, Mayawati's “social engineering” formula will definitely work to Majotra's advantage. In the 2002 elections, Babu Singh had won as an independent securing over 16,000 votes and had become associate member of the Congress, which had inducted him in the erstwhile Cabinet. In neck-and-neck fight, Babu had defeated BSP candidate Sagar Chand, who had secured over 13,000 votes. This time around, Babu Singh had been anticipating the Congress mandate, but the party high command decided the other way fielding sitting MP Lal Singh that forced the former to take a plunge again as an independent. “Whether Lal Singh or Babu Singh. It doesn't make a difference to the people of Kathua, who are certainly inclined towards Charanjeet Singh and Som Raj Majotra,” Surinder Bhagat, a local, said. Rahul Gupta, another resident, said, “The people have a reason to trust them. Singh during his tenure as a bureaucrat always resolved the problem of poor and weak and he has a neat and clean image. When he had been transferred as DC, Sales Tax, at Lakhanpur, the people here had staged strike for 18 straight days to bring him back as additional DC, Kathua, he added. A bureaucrat with 24 years of service, Charanjeet Singh opted for premature retirement, following pressure from the people to contest these elections, he said. Though Prof Sain Dass of the BJP, Ravinder Singh Pathania of the Panthers Party and Ravinder Singh Salathia of the National Conference too are in the fray and Mehbooba Mufti has also fielded Surinder Singh as the PDP candidate, they are not much in the reckoning, felt a political pundit.
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Parties field fewer women
Jammu, November 28 As per official sources, of the 256 contestants, there are 10 women in the fray in the four districts of Baramulla, Budgam, Reasi and Udhampur, which are going to the polls in the fourth phase of the state Assembly elections on December 7. Among these 10 women contestants, the maximum, five, will contest in Baramulla district, followed by three in Reasi and two in Budgam district. There is no woman contestant in Udhampur district. While the percentage of the women contesting the polls in the fourth phase is hardly 4 per cent, the scenario was no better in the first three phases of the state Assembly elections. Three women contested in the first phase that saw the polling on 10 Assembly seats. Similarly, in the second phase, there were only two women in the poll fray, while as many as five women will contest in the third phase in Kupwara district for which the polling will be held on November 30. In the previous elections, the 2002 Assembly polls witnessed the most number of women candidates, which was 30. The women contestants in the poll fray were lowest at a mere 4 candidates in the 1977 Assembly elections. The women who are contesting from Baramulla district include Haleema Bano of the BJP in the Uri Assembly constituency, Raja Begum of the JKNPP and Shakeela Bano, an independent, from the Baramulla Assembly constituency, Rafiqa Bano of the ANC from the Pattan Assembly constituency and Irshada Akhtar, an independent, from the Gulmarg Assembly constituency. Similarly, in Reasi district, Mumtaz Kouser of the PDP will contest from the Gulabgarh Assembly constituency, Meenakshi Sharma, an independent, from Reasi and Shamshad Bano of the PDP from the Gool-Arnas Assembly constituency. In Budgam district, Parveena Akhtar Bhat of the JKNPP will contest from the Khan Sahib Assembly constituency while as Aisha Parveen, an independent, is in the fray from the Beerwah Assembly constituency. |
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Kashmiri Pandits gear up for polls
Jammu, November 28 As many as seven KP migrants have been fielded by the BJP in these elections. The Congress has given ticket to only one KP candidate, whereas the PDP and the NC gave none. For the first time, the Kashmiri Pandit women have also been given representation by any party in the Assembly elections. Two Kashmiri Pandit women candidates - Sweety Kaul and Sheela Handoo - have been given tickets by the BJP for the Shangus and the Devsar Assembly constituencies, respectively. R.P. Singh, BJP in charge of the J&K Affairs said: “It is only Kashmiri Pandit who can raise their voice in the Assembly. So it was logical to give them a good representation.” For the matter of women candidates, he added, “The BJP is determined to give 33 per cent representation to women in the Assembly. That is why, we fielded two women candidates as well for the Assembly elections.” Due representation has been given to seasoned activists such as H.L. Chatta for Habbakadal constituency, J.L. Pandit for Tral and A.K. Pandita for Wachi. Youth contestants include Parikshit Kaul for Amira Kadal and Sanjay Kachroo for Sonwar constituency and of course women candidates. Interestingly, all these candidates are staying outside their constituencies in different parts of country, which might make it difficult for them to work in their constituencies. Parikshit Kaul, a high profile corporate in Delhi, who is jumping into political arena for the first time, says: “I have been working for my people in Kashmir from faraway Delhi as I was instrumental in starting many telecom outlets here. But once elected, I would prefer to stay in my constituency and work towards the development.”
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Farooq assures 33 pc quota to women
RS PURA, November 28 He also assured to launch a special recruitment drive in the border areas to absorb unemployed youth in the state police. In stark contrast to what the NC has done to the fair sex by fielding only two women candidates, Sakina Itoo from Noorabad and Shameema Firdous from
Habbakadal, Farooq claimed that the party would leave no stone unturned to pass the women's reservation bill. Addressing a rally here today after party candidate Ramesh Mottan filed his nomination, the NC patron again asserted that more teeth would be given to the State Accountability Commission to rein in corruption. Referring to rising unemployment among youths, he said the NC would launch a special recruitment drive in border areas under which 70,000 jobs would be created in the police. The qualification bar too would be lowered to middle so as to absorb the maximum number of youths Later responding to media queries, Farooq yet again ruled out the possibility of a post-poll alliance. “With the support of people we would form the next government on our own”, he added. He squarely blamed former Chief Ministers Mufti Mohammed Sayeed and Ghulam Nabi Azad for the Amarnath land agitation, which kept the state in turmoil for two months. |
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Two ultras killed in Pulwama
Srinagar, November 28 According to the sources, a joint operation was launched by the state police and the 55 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) at Panzgam village of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district, where polling will be held on December 13 in the fifth phase. During the operation, an encounter took place in which two militants were killed. Two AK rifles and other arms and ammunition were recovered from the slain militants. A search operation has been launched in the area. Meanwhile, the police assisted by the Rashtriya Rifles detected an IED planted by the militants on the main road between Wachi village and Niyana in the district last evening, the sources said. Later, the IED was defused by the bomb disposal squad. Meanwhile, three more bodies of ultras were recovered from debris of the houses where the ultras had taken shelter yesterday. Three militants were killed in an encounter with security forces at Gujjar Pati area of Bandipora district in north Kashmir yesterday.
— Agencies
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Polls slow down drive against adulteration
Jammu, November 28 The officials are said to be busy, as they have been assigned poll duties. “Though employees are busy, the drive is very much on, alibi with slower pace,” said municipal health officer K.D. Singh Sambyal. He informed that adulteration has been found in the samples of cold drinks, mineral water and in popular dairy milk products. During this week, the health wing of the corporation seized around 60 samples of different eatables like sweets, cheese, edible oil, mineral water, soft drinks and products of a local dairy milk company. These eatables were found unfit for human consumption. “Four samples of misbranded cold drinks and four samples of milk products of a local dairy milk company have been seized this week and all these samples were found adulterated after testing. Challan has been lodged against the defaulters by the municipal court of law,” he said. He said: “There are already 20 cases lodged against this particular dairy milk company for selling adulterated items in the market.” During the last two months, more than 100 challans were lodged against the defaulters. |
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Shakti Dal merges with NCP
Jammu, November 28 Former minister and state NCP chief Thakur Randhir Singh said the new entrants had been given suitable positions in the party. Saira Sammer, former Congress councillor, has been fielded as the NCP candidate from the Habbakadal Assembly seat, while former president of the Shakti Dal Kuldeep Sharma has been appointed the senior vice-president of the party. Sharma will also contest from Akhnoor seat on the NCP ticket. While issuing the third list of candidates, Singh said three other names were Aashiq Rafiq Khan (Amirakadal), Bodh Raj (Ramban) and Rajinder Singh (Nagrota). He said, so far, the Central Election Committee had cleared 17 names, while the party would not contest more than 22 seats. He said the manifesto of the party would be released soon. Meanwhile, the state unit passed two resolutions. It condemned the terror attack at Mumbai and mourned the loss of precious innocent lives. It also mourned the demise of former Prime Minister VP Singh. |
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It’s neck and neck in Handwara
Srinagar, November 28 There is a neck-to-neck fight between the two former ministers, Choudhary Mohammad Ramzan of the National Conference and Sofi Ghulam
Mohiuddin, an independent. The National Conference candidate had been elected from the constituency in 1983, 1987 and 1996. He was defeated by Mohiuddin in the 2002 elections. Mohiuddin was elected from this constituency, securing 15,389 votes out of a total of 32,976 votes polled. Those in the fray include Ch. Mohammad Ramzan (NC), Ghulam Mohammad Mir (PDP), Ghulam
Mohi-ud-Din Sofi (independent), Shafiqa Begum (Panthers Party), Mohammad Akbar Lone (independent), Mohammad Yaseen Bhat (independent), Mohammad Shafi Dar (Awami National Conference), Anayat Ullah Lohar (independent), Pawan Kumar
(independent), Mohammad Abdullah Chatwall (independent), Hanifa Begum (BSP), Ghulam Nabi Shah (independent) and Sajad Ahmad Tantray (independent). Two women candidates are also in the
fray, including Shafiqa Begum of the Panthers Party and Hanifa Begum of the BSP. |
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Campaign ends in Kupwara
Srinagar, November 28 The five constituencies going to the polls on Sunday are Karnah, Kupwara, Lolab, handwara and
Langate. Polling has already been held in 16 constituencies spread over Bandipore, Leh, Kargil, Poonch, Ganderbal and Rajouri districts in the first two phases. An official spokesman said that EVM training had been given to election staff of all Assembly constituencies of Kupwara district. The election material has been handed over to 2,300 polling staff members. The security and other related arrangements had been finalised, which would be monitored by the district election officer, Kupwara. As many as 452 micro-observers have been appointed for the five Assembly constituencies to ensure free and fair elections. Meanwhile, polling staff for Karnah, Keran and other distant areas have been sent to assume their respective duties. Adequate transport arrangements had also been put in place, the spokesman said.
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Shiv Sena Hindustan names candidate
Jammu, November 28 Addressing a press conference here, Dimpy Kohli and Rakesh Kak, president and press secretary, respectively, of the party, condemned the terrorist attack in Mumbai. They said the party would hold demonstrations across the country on December 2 to 12 against this attack and the UPA’s "soft approach" towards terror. |
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Quality seed programme
Jammu, November 28 The programme will commence on December 8 and conclude on December 28. Vice- chancellor B. Mishra emphasised that “quality seed” would be the focus of the research programme in which various technologies related to quality seed production would also be discussed. Eminent scientists from state universities are likely to elaborate on multidisciplinary nature of quality seed production technologies in the programme. |
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Srinagar witnessed a complete shutdown today on a call given by the secessionist Coordination Committee.
AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi today asserted that the UPA regime headed by Dr Manmohan Singh was capable enough to handle terrorism and the country would emerge victorious in its war against the menace.
