Jammu, November 3
“He called me up on the phone around 2 am trying to convey something about a serious mishap before he stopped talking,” recalled a totally shattered Onkar Nath, elder brother of Ashok Kumar who was among 12 persons killed in a Tempo Traveller-bus collision at Baghial Morh in Kathua today.

Among the 12 persons killed in the accident were 10 members of a single family from Hari Singh Nagar. As soon as the news of the accident spread, a pall of gloom descended on Hari Singh Nagar residence of the accident victims. A large number of people swarmed the house to console the bereaved family. Members of the family were on their way back home from Jawalaji in Himachal Pradesh.

Shopkeepers shut their shops in the area as soon as the news of the accident spread. “I suddenly heard someone crying in the night and came out and found Onkar Nath, elder son of Sansar Chand, crying inconsolably in the street before he fainted,” said Rajni, who lives opposite the house of the accident victims. After regaining consciousness, Onkar somehow narrated the heartbreaking news to the neighbours before rushing to Kathua.

“I can’t believe that my friend Vishaw (Ashok’s son), who lived and played with me, has left this world,” said Ankur.

However, Darshna, sister-in-law of Sansar Chand, who got off the ill-fated vehicle at Kalibari, just about 1 km away from where the mishap occurred, was in a state of shock.

Later in the afternoon, a large number of people and family members bade a tearful adieu to those killed in the accident. The bodies were cremated at Jogi Ghat crematorium.

Jammu, November 3
Decision of the railway authorities to cancel DMU and inter-city trains to Udhampur evoked massive protest in Jammu and Udhampur. While regular passengers staged a demonstration in front of the office of Divisional Traffic Manager (DTM) at Jammu, students disrupted movement of trains at two places near Udhampur railway station.

Although the railway authorities have assured to restore train services within a week’s time, residents of Udhampur have decided to constitute a joint front to intensify the ongoing agitation against the step of the railway authorities.

Irked over, what they call, dictatorial decision of the railway authorities, regular passengers of DMU this morning trooped towards the office of the DTM at Jammu railway station and staged a dharna there. They pointed regular passengers were the prime victim of the arbitrary decision of the railway authorities.

This afternoon two groups of students under the banners of Panthers Student Union and Jammu and Kashmir Students Federation held separate demonstration at Udhampur railway station and Mian Bagh areas to lodge protest against the decision of the railway authorities to close DMU and inter-city trains. Students staged dharna on the railway track and disrupted movement of train services. Later, Panthers Student Union decided to start signature campaign against decision of the railway authorities.

Meanwhile, president of the Panthers Party and MLA Udhampu Balwant Singh Mankotia has flayed the authorities concerned for closing DMU and inter-city trains which were running from Delhi and Jammu to Udhampur railway station.

Jammu, November 3
Union Minister of Railways Mamta Banerjee seems to have taken passengers for a ride by announcing the start of much-awaited Duronto Express and Yuva Express trains,but starting only some of the announced trains.

In large advertisements in several newspapers, she announced the “schedule” of 28 new trains and 8 extended trains, but only six of the total 36 trains have actually started running while the remaining exist on paper only.

The starting date of as many as 24 of the “new trains” and six “extended “ trains, was not declared in the advertisement even though it gives an impression that trains start from Novemeber 1.

While the advertisement claimed the timetable of new trains - 11 Duronto Express, 15 Express and 2 Yuva Express trains - with effect from November - 1, 2009, most of them carried in small print the date of introduction of the train “to be announced” later.

Each train’s name and box is specified in an individual box in the advertisement. The stoppages, departure and arrival time and the days on which the trains would run had been given but the entry on starting day does not mention when the train would actually start running.

The Railways’ public information exercise actually seems to be a PR exercise. The Railways spent the public money on the advertisements which they would have to give again once the starting date of the “announced” trains are decided.

“I can’t tell you the reasons for declaring the “new trains” without telling when they would start. But, may be, each of those train is waiting for the dates of a politician to flag them off,” said a local railway official. Mamta Banerjee had announced earlier this year that she would start Duronto Express and Yuva Express trains. A local railway booking agent said ever since the advertisement was published people had been asking for bookings in the new train whose time and day suits them. “People don’t believe us when we say the train was yet to start. It is only when we tell them to read the small print that they understand.”

Jammu, November 3
To commemorate the 25 years of the anti-Sikh riots of 1984, a protest rally was organised by the Jan Jagriti Manch (JJM).

Various organisations, including the Progressive Students Association (PSA), the Saksham Samaj (SSE), the Nirbow Nirvair Organisation (NNO), the All-India Sikh Student Federation (AISSF), the Sikh Progressive Front (SPF), the Istri Satsang Sudhar Sabha (ISSS) and other social organisations participated.

The rally started from Bahu Plaza and passing through the Nanak Nagar area culminated at Gole market in Gandhi Nagar.

Parveen president of JJM while addressing the rally threw light on the root cause of communal disharmony and concerned the apathetic role of the government during anti-Sikh riots of 1984 and during Gujrat’s anti-Muslim riots.

He appealed the progressive organisations to join hands to fight against the communal menace.

Balwinder Singh of SPF appealed to the people to come forward and unite to oppose to the atrocities committed either by the state or any specific community irrespective of religion and region. Various other leaders also spoke on the occasion.

Jammu, November 3
Twentyfive years have passed since anti-Sikh riots rocked the country, but a Jammu woman, whose two sons have been missing since then, is still hopeful of seeing them return.

She has been working for the welfare of beggars and the mentally challenged in the hope that their service might one day unite her with her missing sons.

Two sons of Prem Kaur, Gurdev Singh (33) and Karanjeet Singh (28), left for Delhi in their trucks on November 1, a day after the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was killed. Later, the family came to know that anti-Sikh riots had erupted in Delhi.

On November 3, the family came to know that her two sons had gone missing in the riots. Twenty-five years have passed since then, but her sons have not returned. However, the long duration has not made her lose hope of seeing them come back home safe and sound. She is still hopeful that one day she would again see the faces of her sons.

“I am a mother. How can I say that my sons are no longer alive,” said 80-year-old Prem Kaur with tears rolling down her cheeks. “I am alive with the hope that before I close my eyes forever, I will be able to see my sons again. Their father expired in 1993 with the hope that our sons will return one day,” Kaur said.

Surinder Kaur, who was married to Gurdev Singh in 1980, said, “Though everyone in the family knows that there is every likelihood that the two brothers were killed in the genocide. However, as we haven’t seen their bodies, we have not left hope of seeing them return alive.”

“My daughter was just four-year-old while my son was one-year-old when my husband and his younger brother left for Delhi. After a few days, our drivers returned and told us that my husband and brother-in-law went missing after they were attacked by a mob,” said Surinder Kaur.

After the situation became normal, some members of the family went to Delhi to search for the bodies in various morgues, hospitals. They even visited various police stations in Delhi, but could not trace them.

Even today, the family feels the duo might have lost their mental balance and might be wandering from place to place. “We feed the mentally imbalanced and question them in the hope that we might get some clue to my husband and his brother,” said Surinder Kaur.

Charanjeet Singh, who was only one-year-old when the tragic genocide took place, says he feels pained to see the perpetrators of the heinous crime roaming around openly and wants them to be punished strictly as per the law. “Those who killed my father should be punished. Around 25 years have passed, but they are still at large,” he said.

Though the family had got compensation in connection with the case, the government promise of giving job to the next of kin had not been fulfilled so far, he added.

Srinagar, November 3
Blaming the ruling National Conference (NC) for various problems facing the state, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti today said the youth of the state were suffering the most over the past few decades.

Addressing a convention of the youth wing of the party, Mehbooba expressed concern over the ban imposed on prepaid mobile phone connections in the state. She said while the PDP government led by the then Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, was instrumental in the introduction of mobile services in the state, the NC government could not impress upon the Centre to reconsider the decision on banning prepaid connections.

The PDP president said over 40,000 youths of the state had been rendered unemployed due to the ban. She urged the Centre to reconsider the decision.

She also expressed concern over the coalition government’s decision to put on hold the employment policy scheduled to be unveiled on the occasion of Sheikh Abdullah’s birth anniversary on December 5.

Welcoming the grant of two central universities to the state, Mehbooba lamented over the lack of an IIM in the state.

Referring to the opening of all cross-LoC routes for the movement of people and trade purposes, She said this would help boost trade and economic activity in the state ensuring its overall development.

Srinagar, November 3
While the separatist camp in Kashmir is adopting a policy of wait-and-watch in view of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s recent announcement on talks, the All-Party Hurriyat Conference (Mirwaiz) held its executive and general council meetings here today.

The APHC chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, who recently returned after his London visit presided over the meetings.The Mirwaiz informed the members about his recent visit and engagements in the UK during which he attended various meetings on the Kashmir issue.

A spokesman of the APHC said the meeting also chalked out a programme to pay tributes to martyrs of November 6, 1947 in Jammu. The main congregation to pay tributes to the martyrs would be held at Jamia Masjid in Srinagar on November 6, the spokesman said.

Sources said there had not been much development and discussion within the Hurriyat Conference on the Prime Minister’s statement.It was mainly because the Mirwaiz had been away in London was yet to start discussions with his senior party colleagues on the issue. The sources said that he had got the support of all constituent members within the Hurriyat on the dialogue. The hoped that in view of the Prime Minister’s statement followed by the union home minister’s announcement on “quiet dialogue”, both the Kashmir (separatist) leadership and Pakistan would be on board.

Meanwhile, the two-member committee comprising APHC (Mirwaiz) leaders, Bilal Lone and Fazal-ul-Haq Qureshi, had a meeting with leaders of the hardline faction of the Hurriyat Conference of Syed Ali Geelani here today. The committee had been constituted early last month to hold talks with the separatist leaders outside the conglomerate to come on a single platform for discussions.The committee is scheduled to meet the JKLF chairman, Mohammad Yasin Malik on Thursday, an APHC spokesman said.

Jammu, November 3
The Shiromani Akali Dal (A) has strongly flayed the Kashmir police for not allowing the parents of the Sikh girl who allegedly married a Muslim youth in Srinagar meet her.

“The state authorities can be held responsible for the recent allegations made by the parents that they were not allowed to meet their daughter who was presently lodged in the police station,” said party’s national vice-president SJS Mangal.

The party also flayed the decision of the union home ministry for banning the pre-paid mobiles in the state.

“The government of India should act wisely and put a check on the supplier who inturn should verify the identity and residential address of the user, so that common subscriber does not suffer,” Mangal said.

Jammu, November 3
Mr Justice Hakim Imtiyaz Hussain of the J&K High Court today directed the state to examine the cases of petitioners whose husbands were picked up by the Army and later found dead for the grant of compensation/ex-gratia relief at enhanced rates and employment in three months from the date of receipt of a copy of the judgement.

The petitioners, Zeeba, Jana and Zulekha, sought compensation for the death of their husbands, who were picked up by the army personnel on the intervening night of July 21- 22, 2002, and later found dead in a nullah.

The petitioners also approached the J&K State Human Rights Commission, which returned a finding that the husbands of petitioners had been killed while in custody of the army. Although investigations conducted by the state police in an FIR lodged by the petitioners revealed killing of the two due to bullet injuries received during an encounter,the commission directed reopening of the matter and fresh investigations by the crime branch. The commission also granted them ex gratia relief.

The union of India in a writ petition asserted that the husbands of the petitioners were guiding army personnel to a place where the militants had stored weapons and ammunition and were killed when the militants started firing indiscriminately. However, the human rights commission did not accept the stand of the government.

Jammu, November 3
Visit of Union Home Minister P Chidambaram in the winter capital has once again rekindled a ray of hope among the inhabitants of border areas, who have been struggling for the redressal of their long pending demands.

P Chidambaram is visiting Jammu on Wednesday to review security arrangements and to review implementation of the rehabilitation package for the displaced Kashmiri Pandits.

Besides, a compensation of the land which was used by the authorities for mining during border built-up, people living all along the International Border (IB) from Kathua to Akhnoor have been demanding facilities at par with the inhabitants living on line of control (LoC) and actual line of control (ALC).

“We would take up the issue of border residents before the Union Home Minister,” said Congress Lok Sabha member Choudhary Lal Singh. Singh, however, said being representative of the people he had already taken up this issue a number of times in the House but the visit of the Minister would provide an opportunity to the people to themselves apprise him about their demands.

The Lok Sabha member candidly admitted that successive governments have meted out step motherly treatment with border residents. Although peace has been prevailing along the border after announcement of ceasefire, long pending demands of people are not yet addressed. Government had announced compensation for those farmers whose land was used for mining during Operation Prakram but a number of farmers have not yet received compensation. A compensation of Rs 5 crore is yet to be distributed among the affected farmers. “We will take the issue of compensation before the Home Minister,” said Lal Singh and regretted that reservation and other relaxations have been announced for the inhabitants of LoC and ALC but those living on IB have been denied of same relaxations. “This is glaring example of discrimination,” he observed.

MLA Suchetgarh Sham Choudhary, demanded that problems of affected farmers to be solved as early as possible. “Union Home Minister’s visit is an opportunity to get these long pending problems addressed,” he said but hastened to add that inhabitants of border areas were fed up with the repeated promises of the ministers. “Except promises nothing concrete has been done so far,” he regretted while pointing out that farmers have been struggle since long to get compensation for the fencing.

Udhampur, November 3
In a major agricultural breakthrough, experts have been successful in producing saffron in higher reaches of Panchari, Dudu and Basantgarh in Udhampur district.

After Pampore in Srinagar and Kishtwar district in the Jammu region, Udhampur has emerged as the third saffron-producing district.

Confirming the reports of successful trial production of saffron in these areas, District Development Commissioner, Udhampur, Ajay Khajuria, who was on a special visit to inspect the magnitude of success registered during trials, described it as initiation of a red revolution. He said saffron had long been known as a “golden condiment”, for being the most expensive in the world. The day was not far when poor farmers of these remote hilly belts would willingly take to saffron cultivation for their socio-economic transformation, he added.

“Keeping in view the high demand, lofty returns and easy marketing due to its non-perishable nature, it is one of the most suitable alternatives for farmers of hilly belts of the district,” the DC said.

Jammu, November 3
The customers of different banks across the city today had to face problems as most of the ATMs in the city remained non-functional.

The ATM card holders had to roam from one branch to another to avail the facility, however, they could not do so as the machines were not functioning.

Most of the banks had displayed an “out of order” sign board outside their ATMs in the city.

“I had to withdraw Rs 15,000 from the ATM, but ATMs of almost all the banks were not working today,” said Manjinder Singh a local resident adding, “At last I had no other option but to go to my bank’s branch with a cheque to withdraw the money.”

An official of a private sector bank requesting anonymity said, “The problem occurred after the money exhausted in the machines across the city as banks were closed due to Sunday and Gurpurab.”

He said the same was the condition with almost all the banks and the field staff was out to refill the machines so that the customers don’t have to face problems.

Government employees could be seen wandering around the ATMs it being the day to withdraw salary after a vacation of two days.

Long queues could be seen outside some of the ATMs that were in working condition in the city.

“I went to almost all the ATMs in the city, then finally I came to know that only the ATM of SBI in Satwari cantonment was working, so I rushed here to withdraw money, here too I had to stand in long queue before getting my turn to withdraw money,” said Tarsem Lal, a Jawan who was on leave.