Jammu, November 26
The age-old struggle for survival of wildlife against human interference is being re-lived in the International Gharana wetland, a winter home for migratory birds, situated close to the Indo-Pak border in RS Pura subdivision of Jammu district.

An advance party of bar-headed geese from Siberia, flocks of grey herons from Russia, Germany and many other species from Srinagar and upper reaches of Himalayas have travelled thousands of miles above high peaks, even Mt Everest, to keep annual date with the wetland. By late November or early December, over 20,000 birds reach here.

But the bird lovers, wildlife experts are on tenterhooks wondering if the travellers would be able to withstand human fury. Angry villagers of Gharana are all determined to shoo the birds away to save their crops. Last year, they burst crackers when the birds had already settled in the area. This year, they don’t want birds to settle down.

“The birds destroy our crops. First they feed on ripe basmati, and then eat away wheat seed and saplings. We lose around 70 per cent of our crops because of them,” said Sham Choudhary, son of sarpanch Ujjagar Ram.

That is not their only fear. They are resisting government move to acquire land along the wetland to provide more space for birds.

The “modernised” wetland was supposed to be inaugurated by a state minister in 2007. But the function could never be organised due to the fear of losing vote bank.

The Wildlife Department also seems to have resigned to the fate. Conservator of Forests PK Singh said there were plans to increase tourist potential but shortage of funds came in the way.

He said nothing could be done to prevent birds from feasting on the crops. “These villages are on international wetland map. We have no proposal to arrange food for the birds,” he said.

Guldev Singh, a nature photographer recently awarded with an environment award, has captured 140 birds species in his camera. “I have been visiting this place for the past six years. The place provides the best conditions for migratory birds. There is food around, plenty of water and fish.”

“The villagers feel irritated at the presence of thousands of birds. They have a genuine reason, but it would be better if they sit together and find a middle path ensuring coexistence of humans and the wildlife,” he says.

Jammu, November 26
As various rounds of talks between the government and agitating employees of the Jammu and Kashmir State Road Transport Corporation (SRTC) remained inconclusive, the SRTC employees today started their march towards New Delhi to hold protest outside the Parliament.

“Some of the employees have already left for New Delhi in the morning on interstate roadways busses of other states and a large number of employees have booked themselves on various trains today,” Shakeel Ahmed Kuchay, chairman of the SRTC Workers Union, said.

He said after the “positive” round of talks with the high-level committee constituted by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah under the chairmanship of chief secretary SS Kapoor the employees were hopeful for an early resolution of their demands. However, the talks remained inconclusive and they were left with no option but to knock the door of the Parliament.

“We have submitted in writing to our managing director that we waited for the government’s response after the round of talks with the chief secretary but as no response came from their side, we are forced to proceed towards Delhi,” Kuchay said.

Children of the SRTC employees, who had accompanied them to Jammu from Srinagar, were also seen carrying their belongings and marching towards the Jammu railway station to catch a train for Delhi.

“We would apprise the parliamentarians what impact it has on the mind of our children when they see their parents being beaten up the police for demanding their salaries in a democratic way,” Kuchay said.

He said this was an open case of “human rights violation” in the state where people demanding their salaries were being beaten up by the police.

The employees said: “They will not creating any law and order problem in Delhi, but peacefully hold their demonstration in a democratic way outside the Parliament. Tonight, nearly 800 employees would leave for Delhi. We will celebrate Id there and expect 1,200 or more employees to join us there,” Kuchay said.

He said since morning the employees had been waiting at the railway station waiting for a communiqué from the government side, but so far none had reached so they would leaving for Delhi in the evening trains.

Jammu, November 26
The security forces shot dead two Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists in Doda last night. An LMG and a 303 rifle were seized from the slain terrorists. Though the police is tight-lipped about the seizure, sources said the weapons seized from the slain terrorists might be those that they had snatched from security personnel. Unconfirmed reports said one of the slain militants Mohammad Rafiq Parrey was the brother of an Army man, Zafar Ullah, who had deserted the force last year. The other militant has been identified as Qasim Din Rafiq.

According to the police, a joint team of the Rashtriya Rifle and the police had launched a search operation in the Desa area of Doda yesterday. During the search operation, the militants fired on the security forces. After a fierce gun battle, the security forces killed the two militants. The slain militants belonged to the Hizbul Mujahideen.

While Parrey had joined the Hizbul Mujahideen in August, Qasim was recruited just two weeks ago. 

Peer Ki Gali-Bafliaz, November 26
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today took a historic drive on the 84-km Mughal Road, a dream project under construction connecting the Kashmir valley through Shopian with Bafliaz-Poonch in the Jammu region. The event took place centuries after Mughal emperors rode into the valley through these high mountains as high as over 11,000 ft from the sea level, with the Chief Minister’s assurance that he would make a return drive when the durbar is back in Srinagar.

The centrally-sponsored Rs 640-crore road project taken up in 2006 would be thrown open to public by July next year, the Chief Minister announced on the occasion, though it is scheduled to be completed by 2011.

Addressing a public meeting at Dubjan, about 15 km from Shopian, before his drive on the road, Omar said it was a dream project of his grandfather and former Chief Minister Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah. “It is a historic day for me that I am going to drive on this road,” he said, adding that the Sheikh wanted to connect the Kashmir valley through all links like the Mughal Road and Anantnag-Kishtwar in the south.

He held that all Chief Ministers had tried their best towards realising this project beginning with Farooq Abdullah, who got the road surveyed. Mufti Sayeed and Ghulam Nabi Azad had also contributed in this direction, he added. “Now I have got this opportunity to travel on this road and get it completed,” he added. Omar said this would not have been possible without the Centre’s help, as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi extended all help in speeding up the work.

The fair weather road connecting the two regions, Omar said, would help boost economy and tourism of the area and also help easy movement of students from the valley to Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University (BGSBU) in Rajouri.

Speaking on the occasion, Works Minister GM Saroori said out of 84 km, earthwork on 74 km had been completed. He added that out of 444 culverts, 160 had been completed.

Accompanied by Saroori and his adviser Devinder Singh Rana and DGP Kuldeep Khoda, the Chief Minister inspected the work on the road at various points between Dubjan and Peer Ki Gali at a stretch of 41 km. The remaining portion of 43 km of the road falls in Poonch district of the Jammu region. Out of the sanctioned Rs 640 crore, Rs 270 crore had been spent so far, officials said.

Bimal Tickoo, Chief Engineer, PWD, who is overlooking the Mughal Road project, said 80 per cent of the earthwork had been completed by the HCC (construction company), while the remaining 20 per cent would be completed by March next year. “This is the safest drive between the two regions for eight to nine months,” Tickoo said.

Jammu, November 26
Maintaining that the Union Government was planning to extend the benefits of SC reservation policy to even those who have embraced other faiths, the Anusuchit Jaati Aarakshan Bachao Manch today apprehended that it would dilute the very concept of reservation.

Paying homage to the victims of last year’s Mumbai terror attack, the organisation today held a function here in the name of Samvidhan Samaan Samaroh. Founder of the manch Indresh Kumar was the chief guest on the occasion.

Speaking on the occasion, he said the Union Government was using reservation policy for political gains only, instead of ensuring the welfare of destitute communities.

“Such a decision if implemented will harm the interests of the SCs,” he said, adding that the manch would organise a day-long programme on November 30 at the Press Club, Jammu. Former MLA and manch spokesperson Bali Bhagat also criticised the state government for banning the inter-district recruitment in the state. He said such a move if implemented, would also harm the interests of educated members of the SC community in the state.

Meanwhile, paying tributes to the martyrs, students of National Public High School organised an assembly on the school premises on Thursday. Addressing the students, chairman of school Kishore Sharma said on this day a large number of people lost their precious lives in the militant attack. The school staff as well as the students observed a two-minute silence and paid tributes to the martyrs.

Jammu, November 26
The National Student Union of India (NSUI) has demanded well-equipped libraries for every district headquarters in the state.

In a statement issued here , general secretary of the state unit of the NSUI Arjun Singh Pathania said though there were a number of public libraries run by the government, they had limitations with regard to infrastructure, printed information resources, storage and space.

He further demanded that there should be libraries in every district headquarters providing online reference materials, famous journals and newspapers. He said: “It should have a good number of books, audio-visual material and photostat facility at a nominal price. The library should have an easy process of membership without the guarantee of any gazetted officer of the state.”

Pathania said a well-equipped library in every district headquarters was also recommended by the Randhawa Library Committee appointed by the state government in 1975 to study the working of the Department of Libraries. The committee had also recommended some mobile-library vans to provide library services in the remote areas.

Srinagar, November 26
The Transport Department’s insistence on keeping the Leh-Srinagar highway open after October 31 may have put many lives to risk this year. Moreover, hundreds of people had to go through the ordeal of being stranded in sub-zero temperature before they were rescued. The administration usually bans all traffic on this high-altitude highway after October 31, as it becomes dangerous due to the accumulation of snow.

Transport Minister Qamar Ali Akhoon is from Kargil and his intention might have been to help more and more people of his region to reach their destinations, but it apparently backfired.

Akhoon told The Tribune that traffic had plied on the highway till November 15 in previous years and it was a one-time decision this time to allow traffic to move after this date to help people, including many from different states who come here in search of employment. Weather was good initially and it was practical to allow people to move, he said.

An embarrassed district administration finally issued a promulgation under Section 144 of CrPC today, expressly banning all traffic and making any violator liable for legal prosecution. Official sources told The Tribune that the promulgation was usually issued soon after October 31.

They said 80 vehicles, many of them carrying passengers, were allowed to ply to Srinagar from Kargil on November 24 and 183 vehicles to ply to Kargil from Srinagar on November 25. The administration permitted traffic on the road despite the fact that around 1,000 persons were stranded during the past few days and the Army and the Air Force planes were requisitioned to rescue them.

As luck would have it, traffic was held up due to an accident near Zojila yesterday, and close to 400 persons were stranded at around 14,000 ft, where temperatures touch minus 20°C, while icy and high-velocity winds blew across the Zojila Pass that connects the regions of Kashmir and Ladakh.

Mohammad Imtiaz, SP, Ganderbal, told The Tribune that the rescue operation was almost over and close to 400 persons, including 20 women and 10 children, had been taken to a safe place. A majority of them were labourers hailing from Bihar, Rajasthan and Nepal. Some vehicles were though still trapped.However, two policemen Parvez and Rehman and civil administration official Mohammd Maqbool were injured as they waded their way through the snow-bound road to rescue people. Maqbool suffered frostbites.

Imtiaz said Beacon, which has the responsibility of keeping the highway fit for traffic, had been making all-out efforts to clear the snow so that traffic could ply. However, this weather was improbable and dangerous as well, especially for unsuspecting and unprepared civilians who get trapped due to sudden change in weather.