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Chidambaram’s remarks have people worried
Lashkar speaks of shunning violence
Encounters may increase
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Army fuel on sale
FIR against warden
Panun Kashmir holds community meet
Encroachments in Hindu shrines decried
Work on culvert causes inconvenience
Dholakia keen on Lamhe’s premiere in Srinagar
Students rue lack of facilities at library
Terror victim rues meagre relief
Awareness camp on education held
Ex gratia to terror victims
Report sought on student’s death
Stone-pelting mob teargassed
Three cops suspended
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Indo-Pak tension not good for state: Mufti
Jammu, January 18 Talking to mediapersons at his residence here, the Mufti, while dubbing the Mumbai terror attacks as “unfortunate” said, “Both India and Pakistan are facing terrorism and therefore, they should formulate a joint mechanism to root out this menace without creating an atmosphere of confrontation.” He said the people of the sate want cordial relations between India and Pakistan not confrontation, while stressing on the need to take initiative for de-escalating tension between the two countries. He said the leaders of both countries must keep channels of communication open as dialogue was the only solution to all problems. He apprehended that the tension between India and Pakistan might help the Pak army emerge stronger. Strongly condemning the Israeli attacks on the Gaza strip, the former Chief Minister expressed his dismay over the failure of the world community in preventing the loss of innocent lives in the region and India’s “meek stance” over the issue. He said, “The opposition which India should have shown against Israel’s strike is not seen on the ground. While Jawahar Lal Nehru set up NAM to raise voice of neutral world against atrocities on innocents, the UPA has failed to take a strong stand the way Nehru-Indira led governments did in the past.” He attributed India’s stand to ‘Indo-US Nuclear Deal and American pressure.” He said as a responsible and influential secular democratic republic, the government of India could play a crucial role in preventing death and destruction in the region. On his party’s preparations for the Lok Sabha elections, he said, “We have not yet decided our candidates for the Lok Sabha elections, but as far as preparations are concerned all political parties are already in gear in view of the recently concluded Assembly elections.” Commenting on his party’s role in the state politics, Mufti said his party would act as an effective opposition to aggressively pursue a pro-people agenda and to establish sustainable peace in the state by fulfilling the aspirations of the people. Earlier, he welcomed former Congress MLA Balbir Singh in the party fold. Former minister Dilawar Mir, PDP general secretary Dhaman Bhasin and senior party leaders were also present. |
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Chidambaram’s remarks have people worried
Poonch, January 18 Mendhar and Poonch Haveli areas have the highest concentration of divided families with more than 60 per cent such families inhabiting in these areas, whose have relatives in the Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK). The Poonch-Rawalkote bus service was started by both countries to unite the divided families and is one of the biggest confidence building measures. Chidambaram, in an interview with the London-based Times newspaper a few days ago, threatened severance of trade and transport links with Islamabad if the latter failed to act against the perpetrators of the Mumbai attack. The divided families, which have applied for permits to travel through the Poonch-Rawlakote route, are panicked by Chidambaram’s statement and hope that the bus service will continue as usual. Dayal Singh of the Jhallas area applied for a travel permit in February 2007 and was yet to get permission to travel to the PoK. Dayal Singh wanted to meet his paternal cousin Sheikh Mujeeb Rehmaan, who lives in the Office Colony of Tehsil Baag. His paternal aunt late Lachi Kaur had migrated to the PoK in 1947 after being separated from her family. “I have applied for the travel permit for my family, including my wife, son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren, on February 28 so that we could see my paternal cousin. My cousin, too, had applied for the permit, but neither of us got the permission. Before the Mumbai attack, we were hoping that we would be able to go across border and meet our relatives there. But now that relations between the two countries has turned sour and after Chidambaram’s statement that India will snap all ties with Pakistan, we doubt the future of the bus service”, says Dayal Singh. “We hope that the bus service that unites the divided families should not fall a victim to the souring relations between India and Pakistan. We also pray that the Indo-Pakistan relations race back to normalcy and Pakistan acts against the perpetrators of the Mumbai attack.” Deputy Commissioner, Poonch, Muhammad Afzal told The Tribune that at present the Poonch-Rawalkote bus service was continuing normally and people were travelling on the route. |
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Lashkar speaks of shunning violence
Srinagar, January 18 In a statement issued in Srinagar last evening, Pak-based outfit’s spokesperson Abdullah Gaznavi said his outfit was willing to looking into options other than armed struggle for the resolution of the issue. However, security officials in the valley dismissed his assertion saying it was a deceptive exercise by the terror outfit which is founded on the ideology of “Islamic jehad against kafirs.” A senior police official, who went through the statement of Gaznavi, said it was a tactic frequently engaged in by terror outfits across the globe when their stocks were down and they found themselves in a corner. “Lashkar is for the first time facing scrutiny from the governments across the civil society. Even their patrons in Pakistan are under pressure and they are trying to gain sympathy from their constituents and confuse western powers. It’s also another attempt to link Kashmir issue with the Mumbai attacks”, he told The Tribune. Gaznavi, who issued the statement to local media, said if the international community worked to resolve the issue according to the wishes of Kashmiris, his outfit was willing to play a constructive role. He also tried to de-link the LeT with the global Islamist outfits like al-Qaeda, saying their fight was confined to Kashmir and they were not part of any global design. “We have no association with al-Qaeda or its ilk,” he said. The security officials said the LeT had also tried to cash in on the statement of British foreign secretary who in his recent visit to India said it was imperative to resolve the Kashmir issue to deny legitimacy to terror outfits. |
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Encounters may increase
Rajouri, January 18 Intelligence sources claim that following snowfall along higher reaches in Pir Panjal mountain range; the militants have started moving towards the low-lying areas, which may result in increase in the number of encounters between them and the security forces. The sources further said recent encounter between militants and security forces in which two militants and two security forces personnel were killed in the plain-forest area of Dharamsaal in Kalakote tehsil substantiated the fact that following the snowfall along the higher reaches, the militants had begun to move towards the low-lying areas to escape chilly weather conditions. They, however, added that this was annual phenomenon and militants moved to plain areas every winter. Sources added that the number of militants was probably more in Poonch than in Rajouri district. “Areas in Poonch district where the militants are probably active include Sangyote, Bhatti Dhar, Kasbalari, Kalaban in Mendhar tehsil, Shindra top (between Poonch tehsil and Kalaban), Khanetar in Poonch tehsil, Hari Buddha in Mandi tehsil, Draba, Mastan Dhara, Mughal Marah, Bufliaz, Hill Kaka and Bachan Wali in Surankote. In Rajouri district, the areas include Ghambir Mughlan, Upper Pangai, Buddh Kanari, Kandi Top and Buddhal”, the sources claimed. Police sources confirmed that militants had moved to low -lying areas following which, there could be increase in the number of encounters. “Specific information is generated by the police following which operations are planned to eliminate militants.”, a police source said. |
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Army fuel on sale
Poonch, January 18 Sources confirmed that some Army men were selling the fuel and this illegal sale was going on in Surankote, Draba, Mendhar and Bhimber Gali area in this frontier district. They added that illegal sale was being done through some selective shopkeepers who were trusted by the Army men indulging in this illegal practice. They said even the private vehicle owners did not hesitate in buying Army fuel, which cost them much lesser than the market rates. “Whereas the market rate of a litre of petrol is about between Rs 46 to Rs 47, the petrol for the purpose of Army vehicles is being sold to the selected shopkeepers at Rs 38-40, who then sell it to the private vehicle owners at around Rs 42. Similarly, diesel is being sold to these shopkeepers at Rs 25 as compared to the market rate of Rs 33. These shopkeepers then sell the diesel at around Rs 28,” a source said. “The modus operandi is that some Army men, mostly drivers, come along with 20-50 litre canes filled with fuel and deliver these to some selected shopkeepers, who are associated with illegal sale of fuel. “Since we are earning good money out of the sale of the Army fuel, the source of fuel hardly matters," said a shopkeeper in the Bhimber Gali area, located close to Bhimber Gali Brigade Headquarter. The police sources said the police on many occasions had recovered Army fuel from private shopkeepers. “On May 25, 2007, the police seized 150 litre of Army diesel from a shop in the Ghambir Brahamana area along Jammu-Poonch National Highway. The shop owner had managed to get the diesel from the Army and was selling it in open market,” the police sources said. Earlier, on March 26 in the same year, the police recovered 300 litre of diesel from a house in Kaller village in adjoining Rajouri district and had arrested two persons selling Army fuel. The police sources said during investigations, the accused had divulged the names of Army units from where they had purchased the fuel. Jammu-based defence spokesman SN Acharya told The Tribune that nothing had come to the notice of the Army authorities. |
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FIR against warden
Jammu, January 18 “We have received a complaint from students as well as the Registrar of the university which alleges that Amisha Gupta had confined a minor girl as domestic help and thrashed her on January 15,” Mubassir Latifi, SP (South), said. Responding to the complain, the police immediately registered a case under Sections 323 and 343 of the IPC and started investigating the matter. Domestic help Meera Bai (16), had earlier alleged that she was purchased two years back and was not given anything against her domestic services. She had also maintained that for the past over two years here, she was not in touch with her family in Chattisgarh. She had further charged the warden with meeting out “inhuman treatment” to her. In the evening, the police got Meera Bai at SMGS hospital for the medical examination and later handed her over to the warden in charge Rupma Gandotra, who has replaced Amisha Gupta. JU Registrar GS Samyal, said they had served a show-cause notice to the warden, who was also a lecturer in the MBA Department for “illegal confinement of the child and thrashing”. When asked as to why it took the university administration so long to bring the entire issue into the notice of the government, he vented his anger on media saying, “You (the media) have been blowing the entire issue out of proportion.” Terming the entire incident as condemnable, advocate and coordinator Child Rights and You (CRY), Deepika Thusso said, “The varsity administration should take strict action against the woman. For violation of child rights she should be terminated from the job.” “The police is trying to hush up the matter. The warden needs to be arrested within no time as the statement of the victim is enough,” she added. |
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Rain, snow disrupt life
Srinagar, January 18 A traffic official said snow in Banihal, coupled with continual rain, forced them to suspend the traffic. He said they had deployed snow-clearing machines but the probability of landslides and stone-shooting in places like Panthial and others around Banhihal had increased manifold due to rain in the region for the past three days. The Met Department has predicted similar weather conditions in the Kashmir region, meaning that flow of traffic on the highway may remain suspended. However, tourists, especially foreigners, dribbling in the ski resort of Gulmarg would have no reasons to complain as it received over a feet of snowfall yesterday. The winter spell has kept Kashmir under its grip as most of the places except for Srinagar reported sub-zero temperatures. Srinagar received 8.4 mm of rainfall and snow today till 2.30 pm and the minimum temperature there was 0.6 °C. However, most of other places like Kupwara in north Kashmir and Qazigund had mercury falling below zero degree.
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Rain inundates roads
Jammu, January 18 Due to heavy rain, Exhibition Crossing road at Jewel Chowk was submerged, hampering smooth flow of traffic and movement of pedestrians. The rain has left almost all main roads of the city waterlogged and its impact was seen at Jewel Chowk, from where transport is available for different destinations of the city. The other affected areas include Ware House, Dogra Chowk, Shakti Nagar and Bakshi Nagar. The stagnant-rainwater created obstacles for the passengers and has given tough time to them in boarding and alighting mini-buses. Besides highlighting the dilapidated condition of the roads, few hours’ rain has also belied the tall claims of the Jammu Municipal Corporation about the regular cleaning of the lanes and drains here. Rainwater has washed filth and garbage of the city and chocked the drains at many places. Viney Gupta, who was driving a two-wheeler said, “This muddy rain water stagnated on the roads make it almost impossible for us to drive safely”. |
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Panun Kashmir holds community meet
Jammu, January 18 Recalling January 19, 1990, Panun Kashmir leader Dr Ajay Chrungoo said, “It was on this day when terrorists under the aegis of the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front and other allied outfits declared war against the minority Kashmiri Pandit Community through hate campaigns, threats, selective killings, bomb attacks etc. This paved the way for religious cleansing of Kashmiri Hindus. No Kashmiri Pandit, who has lived those days in Kashmir and retains same sensitivity, can overcome those nightmarish experiences.” “Kashmiri Pandits have been survived seven exoduses in the past 650 years. They retain the will to survive in future also,” he said. Kuldeep Raina said, “The Mumbai terror attack has galvanised the public opinion more than any act of violence in the recent times. The religious cleansing of Kashmiri Hindus did not outrage the nation even though in the intensity and by implication it continues to be the more gruesome attack on the idea of India.” |
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Encroachments in Hindu shrines decried
Jammu, January 18 Releasing a visual CD depicting the alleged shabby and deplorable condition of the existing Hindu shrines in the valley, the committee at a function held here in connection with the “Holocaust Day” of Kashmiri Pandits, alleged that encroachment of Hindu shrines, in connivance with certain elements in the government, continued till date and nobody was bothered to stop the same. The committee impressed upon the government to bring all Hindu shrines of Kashmir, including Sharda Temple, falling in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) under the ambit of Temple Bill. That could be one of the solutions to stop encroachment of Hindu shrines in the valley, the migrant leaders said. Later, talking to the Tribune, president of AMPCC, Vinod Pandit, said over 400 Hindu shrines existed in the valley and most of the religious places were deliberately being encroached to deny Kashmiri Pandits their right to go back to the valley. The release of the CD “Who I Am” reminds every Kashmiri Pandit about his rich socio-religious roots linked with Kashmir, Vinod said. |
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Work on culvert causes inconvenience
Jammu, January 18 Due to the ongoing construction, transport has got diverted to narrow roads in various localities, resulting in road accidents. The alternative route that most vehicles take is only meant for one-way traffic, which often leads to traffic chaos. The traffic police has been a mute spectator to the commuters’ woes. “Considering the importance of the road in view of a number of vehicles that use it daily, the agency concerned should have constructed the culvert in a time-bound manner,” said SK Koul, a government employee. Kamaljeet Singh, senior construction engineer, ERA, attributed the delay to the relocation of BSNL cables. However, he said the project would now take a fortnight for completion. |
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Dholakia keen on Lamhe’s premiere in Srinagar
Srinagar, January 18 Director Rahul Dholakia and producer Banti Walia said their 14-day shooting in the valley was close to completion and termed the entire team’s experience as “amazing” for the hospitality and love they received from the locals. They said in a press conference that they would ask their colleagues in India and abroad to return to Kashmir for shooting. “We are also very happy to be here and for the work done,” Dholakia said. If they keep their promise and hold Lamhe’s premiere in Srinagar then it would be a first in the valley after militancy. The residents’ love for Hindi cinema and music is second to none. People used to throng the summer capital’s 10-odd cinema halls before the advent of militants and extremists on the scene who attacked cinema halls and ensured their closure. The producer-director downplayed the controversy, generated by orthodox elements over alleged portrayal of Kashmir in a negative light, and they denied receiving any legal notice from the Aasiya Andrabi, the woman face of ultra-orthodox Islamic ideology in Kashmir. Dholakia said they had to leave Kashmir abruptly in October due to security threats and controversies, which had made Bipasha Basu panic. She preferred to shoot in Manali and Kashmir-like sets in Mumbai. They returned, he said, after assurance from the government and he expressed his “heartfelt” thanks to CM Omar Abdullah and police for ensuring a hassle-free shooting this time. Lamhe’s story, he said, was the story of Kashmir and the struggle and hardship of all elements associated with it. |
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Students rue lack of facilities at library
Jammu, January 18 Ankush Chandel, a regular visitor to the library, also called Comrade Dhanwantri Library, said: “It is difficult to study at home or in hostel rooms as guests keep coming all the time. We come here for the academic environment to study at a stretch, but poor facilities prove irritants.” Some students on the condition of anonymity alleged that among other flaws, in the absence of generator and poor heating/cooling arrangements they had to bear the brunt of weather. They said the Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) machine remains dysfunctional most of the time. “There is an acute shortage of manpower in the library and there is no proper check at the entrance. This has been causing continuous cases of book theft,” students rued. As the reading halls remain open round-the-clock, girl students said: “We can make the most of library if the authorities concerned facilitate transport facility in the evening hours against genuine charges.” Students rued poor Xerox facility at the library. According to them there is only one photocopying unit and one attendant deputed for the task. “Whenever the unit goes out of order or the employee is on leave students suffer,” JURSEA president Vikas Sharma said. “The varsity must guarantee better book collection in stack and textbook section. There should be transparency in library funds besides involvement of students in the making of book selection and weed out policy,” Sharma sought, adding that most of the books in library were outdated while the new ones had repeated editions. However, library staff had its own set of grievances. Due to acute shortage of manpower, they said they were compelled to perform extra services. “There is no transport or phone facility for evening staff. Whenever some urgency develops we have to resort to outside help,” they said. In-charge librarian Prof Naresh Padha said most of refurbishment and development initiatives were in pipeline. He said the administration could consider the demands of the student provided a formal proposal came from the latter. |
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Terror victim rues meagre relief
Jammu, January 18 Three Pakistan militants had forcibly entered the house of Billu Ram in Chinore on August 27 last year. Besides killing seven innocent persons, the militants had seriously injured Billu Ram’s wife, who is still recovering, and left behind a pockmarked house and above all an indelible scar on the psyche of his four minor children. What the family has got from the government is Rs 50,000 in stark contrast to what it has actually incurred to bring its shattered life back on the rails. Talking to The Tribune, Billu Ram said the government gave me Rs 45,000 to undertake repairs of my extensively damaged house, and a cheque for Rs 5,000 for medical expenditure of my wife. “I have borrowed Rs 2 lakh from my friends, relatives and acquaintances for the repair of my house and so far Rs 2.50 lakh has been spent on it,” he said. Though the Revenue Department had prepared an estimate of over Rs 2 lakh for my house, the government reduced it to Rs 45,000, he added. Similarly, my wife, who had sustained four gunshots causing two fractures in her thigh, was not treated properly at the Government Medical College and we had to shift her to Amritsar, he said. He added that as of now Rs 1 lakh had been spent on her surgery and medicines. “She has to undergo another surgery for which I need Rs 1 lakh more,” said Billu, who felt that the government’s help was too small. Every week, she had to take medicines worth Rs 1,000 and the expenditure was difficult for an ordinary man like me to bear, he added. My four minor children -- Sheetal Devi (9), Irshant Kumar (7), Kajal (4) and Vipin (3) -- were still living in trauma, he said. He added that a little noise frightened them, a fact proved beyond doubt when Billu Ram closed the gate and rushed inside after this correspondent parked his vehicle outside his house this afternoon. My children were still not able to mingle with their schoolmates, he said. Being a penury-ridden man and a victim of militancy, he asked this correspondent whether his children could get free education in a good school. |
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Awareness camp on education held
Jammu, January 18 Vohra, who is also President of the Association for Social Health in India (ASHI), Jammu and Kashmir branch, was speaking at an awareness camp at Simblehar in Jagati near here. Usha said: “Education develops confidence in girls and enables them to embark into varied socio-economic activities with strong will and full devotion.” She stressed on containing dropout rate among girls. The camp aimed at generating awareness regarding education, health and income generating sources. During the camp, experts delivered lectures on yoga, child care, family planning and awareness was imparted regarding various social welfare schemes and formation of self-help groups to augment the income of the people of the village, rights of women and children, legal aid, short-stay homes for needy women being run by the ASHI. Shawls, cash incentives and food grains were distributed among the villagers on the occasion. |
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Ex gratia to terror victims
Srinagar, January 18 DC, Srinagar, Mehraj Ahmad Kakroo chaired a meeting of District Level Screening cum Coordination Committee in which 90 cases of victims of militancy-related activities came up for discussions, an official spokesman said today. He said as many as 61 cases were cleared and an ex gratia relief of Rs 25.44 lakh was
sanctioned. In Baramulla district, a similar meeting was chaired by DC Baseer Ahmad Khan. An ex gratia relief of Rs 18.74 lakh was sanctioned in favour of 30 militancy-related cases in the district, the spokesman said. These include five cases of death, three missing cases and 22 property damaged cases. In Kulgam, DC Latief-uz Zaman Deva sanctioned Rs 6.22 lakh as ex gratia relief in nearly 10 cases of militancy-affected victims at the Screening Committee meeting, the spokesman said.
— UNI |
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Report sought on student’s death
Srinagar, January 18 The direction was given to the Jammu IGP K Rajindra after human rights activist Nadeem Qadri filed a petition in the SHRC here and alleged that the victim was murdered by “some influential” people. The parents of the victim Imran Khan (23), of Sulkoot Kupwara, alleged that some “influential people” whom the police was trying to shield murdered him, but the Jammu police maintained the deceased had committed suicide. The SHRC has asked the IGP to file the report by February 5, and also fixed the date for hearing on February 8. According to the petitioner, Imran was tortured and murdered by some youths of Chatha Govindpora on October 16, 2008 after a confrontation, and added the police had not initiated an inquiry, nor arrested or questioned the suspects. Qadri also requested the commission to grant the victim’s family an interim relief of Rs 2 lakh.
— UNI |
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Stone-pelting mob teargassed
Srinagar, January 18 The incident took place at Ali Masjid in Eidgah locality when agitated residents blocked the main road this afternoon, demanding removal of the CRPF picket from the area, the sources said. The protesters alleged that the security personnel, posted in the picket, were involved in eve-teasing under the influence of liquor and were not allowing free movement after dusk, the
sources added. Claiming that several were roughed up by CRPF personnel during the past few days, the protesters resorted to stone-pelting on cops, who rushed to the scene to control the situation. The police initially used batons to disperse the protesters but as the lathicharge proved ineffective, tear gas shells were used to restore law and order, the sources said. However, none was hurt in the clashes, the sources added.
— UNI |
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Three cops suspended
Jammu, January 18 The accused stopped Arvind Kumar at Rehari Chowk here and allegedly beat him up. They also extorted money from him, the police said. The cops were suspended after Arvind Kumar and some eyewitnesses complained to the SSP. A case has been registered against the cops, the police said.
— PTI |
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