Srinagar, December 21
Two men who had crossed over to the PoK in 1990 to train as militants surrendered before the police today in Tangmarg, a frontier region, after they returned to India via Nepal, a route often adopted by local militants based in Pakistan who wanted to surrender.

Abdul Rashid Chopan of Magam and Mohammad Altaf Hajam of Tangmarg were members of the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), the major militant outfit in the early spell of militancy that later disintegrated for a host of reasons, but they never came back once they crossed over, DIG Abdul Qayoom Manhas said.

Both men married local girls in the PoK and returned with their families. Chopan has three daughters, none of them older than six years, while Hajam has two young sons, the police said.

Official sources said it was not very likely that both persons would be able to settle down with their wives in Kashmir as the government did not take a favourable view of such demands. “We have registered cases against them and I think there is a possibility that both women would be deported once they are released,” a senior official conversant with such cases said. Though courts were the final arbiters in such matters, he added. What would be the fate of their kids is the moot point.

Chopan and Hajam are not history-sheeters here as they never returned from the PoK, so they are unlikely to serve a long sentence. Police official connected with the surrender said their Pakistani wives were determined to fight legal battles to stay with their husband. They said they had decided to come with their husbands knowing well the legal battles they had ahead.

Despite the government’s apparent opposition to let Pakistani women stay in Kashmir, there are many marriages of high profile Kashmiri leaders, most of them separatists, with Pakistani wives. Sajjad Lone, a separatist-turned-mainstream leader, and Yasin Malik are married to Pakistani citizens. Though they have not got Indian citizenship, they do get permission from the government to stay with their husbands here. Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, the top Hurriyat leader, is married to a US-born woman whose family has Kashmiri origin, but is settled in the USA. The authorities had last year served a deportation notice on her, but the state High Court had allowed her to stay.

Udhampur, December 21
About two years after the submission of the proposal, the Union Housing and Urban Development Department has cleared centrally sponsored projects of Rs 2.24 crore for the improvement of drains and lanes at Ramnagar town, the headquarters of Ramnagar tehsil of the district.

Ramnagar legislator Harsh Dev Singh, who had been camping in Delhi to get approval of the long-pending proposal, today informed that the central department concerned gave its nod a week ago.

Of the total sanctioned amount, Rs 1.97 lakh would be spent on drains under the Urban Infrastructure Development Scheme for Small and Medium Towns (UIDSSMT) while Rs 97 lakh was meant for lanes under the Integrated Housing and Slum Development Project (IHSDP). Notably, the proposal had been hanging fire due to the lackadaisical approach of the state government officials concerned.

The Centre had earlier sent back the project report for technical modifications. It was again submitted after the local legislator took keen interest to get the proposal modified.

“I had to personally take it up with the central department concerned for its early approval,” he said while lam enting the red tape in the state government department concerned, which unnecessarily delayed the approval of the proposal.

The condition of open drains and lanes in the town having a population of about 7,000 is quite miserable. Their improvement was the main demand of its residents.

Though their construction and maintenance is primarily the responsibility of the local municipal committee, it could do little due to meagre funds at its disposal from its own sources of revenue.

“I have been assured that the first instalment of the sanctioned funds will be released in a month. The work will start immediately after that,” he added.

Jammu, December 21
Former Chief Minister and patron of the PDP Mufti Mohammad Sayed said today that restoring the dignity of people of the state and solving the vexed Kashmir problem was his cherished dream and he would strive hard to achieve this goal.

Addressing a gathering at Kotranka in Rajouri district, the Mufti said one and the only aim of forming the PDP was to change the fate of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and establish lasting and sustainable peace in this region. “Attaining power is not the aim of the PDP,” he said. “whether in power or out of it, the PDP would continue its struggle for mitigating the miseries of the people.”

Exhorting party workers to prepare themselves for a peaceful struggle for establishing sustainable peace in the state, the Mufti said since its formation the PDP had been propagating that violence was no solution to any problem. “Dialogue is the only mean to solve all problems,” he opined and asserted that the PDP would force both India and Pakistan to initiate concrete steps for solving this problem once and for all.

He said no mentionable growth and meaningful development could be achieved without sustaining peace and normalcy. “Peace is imperative for progress and prosperity of the people of this region.” The PDP patron said in the form of self-rule document his party had presented a solution for resolving the Kashmir problem. He, however, reiterated that his party would not impose this solution on people and rather try to evolve consensus on the issue.

“I don’t think any state in the country would barter its resources in such a reckless manner as was done by the NC government by handing over seven power projects to the NHPC under an arbitrary agreement signed by it with the Union Power Ministry in 2000,” he said. 

Jammu, December 21
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today called for an integrated approach for the protection and preservation of the state’s rare wildlife species. 

“Jammu and Kashmir is a depository of rich fauna of the world and it is our duty to safeguard it from extinction,” Omar said. He said this while chairing the first meeting of the state Board for Wildlife; he is also the chairman of the board.

Omar said increased human interference in the forests had put greater pressure on the natural habitat of different wildlife species. “We should strike a balance to nurture the co-existence of human beings and wildlife,” he added.

The Chief Minister said the presence of rare wild animals and birds in the state added to its natural beauty and this had remained the focal point of attraction for the visitors from all over the world. He said the departments of environment, forests, wildlife and tourism required to put in joint efforts to maintain the state’s wildlife.

Omar said the government would extend all help in this regard. “There is an urgent need to protect the habitat of rare species like hangul, chiru, snow leopard, black-necked crane, red bear and others, so that their population increases,” he said.

Meanwhile, in another meeting, the Chief Minister highlighted the role of the development authorities in upgrading the tourist facilities and showcasing the state’s natural beauty at national and international levels.

“We have launched a multi-pronged strategy to encourage large scale inflow of tourists from within and outside the country,” he said.

While chairing the first meeting of the Surinsar-Mansar Development Authority, Omar, who is also its chairman, said water bodies and wetlands required added attention for their beautification and management.

He said Mansar and Surinsar possessed great potential for pilgrim tourism.  “Both places are ancient and heritage sites in the Jammu division,” he said, adding that Purmandal and Utterbehni were famous pilgrim spots situated in the jurisdiction of the Surinsar-Mansar Development Authority.

Srinagar, December 21
Kashmiri lore has it that the coldest 40 days in the valley begin from today every year and end in January. It seems as if nature is responding to the call of the tradition as people woke up to an almost freezing temperature today, and weather remained hazy and cold throughout the day. However, what is missing this time and worrying one and all is the absence of snow so far.

Although snow has eluded the valley so far, except for high altitude locations, a thin sheet of sleet was visible at many places today. People were seen burning wood and tyres at many residential localities. Senior Meteorological Department official TK Jotsi said it was indeed “not usual” in Kashmir to have no snow till this time of the year.

The maximum temperature in Srinagar was 7.2°C, which is one degree less than the normal while the minimum touched minus 2°C, which is the normal minimum temperature on this day. The maximum temperature yesterday was a mere 5.6°C in Srinagar, much below the normal.

What has most people worried is the fact that if the current dry spell continues it would result in the depletion of glaciers. It is considered harmful for health as well.

Jotsi said he did not foresee any precipitation in the coming few days, as cloudy weather was likely to prevail for some more time. “The weather pattern, which causes snow, is not developing. Whatever little has developed has been directed to high altitude areas,” he said.

Experts opined that a decent snowfall was a necessity for keeping water resources at a level that could cater to irrigation and drinking needs in summers. Almost all rivers and ‘nullahs’ in the valley were glacier-fed and lack of snow or rain hits them the hardest.

Jammu, December 21
Employees of the Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department, including daily wage workers, today staged a protest here demanding that the new transfer policy be rolled back and pending wages be released in toto.

Led by PHE Workers Welfare Association president Chuni Lal, the employees shouted slogans against the administration. They alleged that the authorities had turned a blind eye towards their genuine demands.

Apart from rolling back the new transfer policy and the release of wages in time, the employees had been demanding time-bound promotions as per SRO 14, salary arrears, heaters and charcoal.

Chuni Lal warned that the agitation would be intensified in the coming days if their demands were not met. 

Srinagar, December 21
Daily wage employees of the Power Development Department (PDD) held a protest in support of their demands near their office here today.

They had to face the wrath of the police when they tried to march towards the secretariat, where Section 144 remains imposed making any gathering of five and more persons illegal.

The protesters said at least 10 PDD workers were injured as the police used baton and water-cannon on the crowd. The police said it was forced to use force when the employees tried to break the security cordon to march towards the secretariat. These employees have long been demanding the regularisation of their services and an increase in wages.

They raised slogans against the government for it’s alleged highhanded and insensitive attitude towards them.

Jammu, December 21
The police is still clueless about the whereabouts of a girl who had been missing for the past three days.

BA final year student Pupinder Kour, daughter of Daler Singh of Bari Brahmana, had been missing since Saturday and did not return home from the college.

Daler Singh said, “She left home to submit her form at the employment exchange in Jammu and was to return in the evening. But when she did not return, we lodged a missing report with the police.”

He said his daughter was going regularly to the college, but on that day she skipped the college to file her papers in the employment exchange. He feared that she might have been kidnapped.

A police officer at Bari Brahmana police station said, “On receiving the complaint, an investigating officer was sent to the college and the employment exchange. We found that the girl was not attending classes for the past two days before going missing. She did not even submit the form at the employment exchange.”

He said investigation was on and the police was trying to ascertain the circumstances under which the girl went missing. 

“Anything in this regard can only be said once we ascertain her whereabouts,” the police officer said.

Jammu, December 21
Rich tributes were paid to well-known Kashmiri educationist, writer and political activist late Chaman Lal Kantroo here yesterday.

According to a statement issued here, a condolence meet was organised by the Chaman Lal Memorial Committee. People from political, social, educational and literary background highlighted the contribution of Kantroo in various fields. Speakers described Kantroo as a dedicated revolutionary, great teacher, serious writer and a dignified human being. His deep faith in secularism, religious tolerance and regional unity was highlighted in detail.

The speakers urged the participants to uphold the principles of secularism, progressive thought, peace and unity as this was the most suitable way to remember Kantroo. The speakers included Minister for School Education Peerzada Mohd, Sayeed, MP Mehboob Beig, CPM state secretary MY Tarigami, former Minister of State Babu Singh, former MLC Abdul Rehman Takroo and general secretary of the J&K Kisan Tehrik GN Malik.

Udhampur, December 21
The Department of the Judge Advocate General (JAG) of the Army celebrated its 26th Corps Day at the Udhampur-based HQ of Northern Command here today.

Lt-Gen BS Jaswal, AVSM, VSM, GOC-in-C, Northern Command, commended the services rendered by the department in the presence of the officers, staff and their families. The day-long function started with the laying of a wreath by Brig PK Sharma, Deputy Judge Advocate General, at the War Memorial as a homage to those who sacrificed their lives for the country.

Lt-Gen BS Jaswal recalled the glorious past of the department as one of the oldest branches of the Army whose origin was closely linked with the evolution of the military law in England.

He added that a separate department dealing with court-martials came to be headed by an officer designated as the Judge Advocate General, who was the first appointment in the country in 1841. He was also the legal adviser to the Chief of the Army Staff.

The Corps Day messages received from the Chief Justice of India and the Chief of Army Staff were also read out on the occasion followed by a conference in which various complicated legal issues were discussed. The conference was inaugurated by Lt-Gen BK Chengapa, AVSM, Chief of Staff of HQ Northern Command.

A formal get together of all officers of the Command Headquarters was also held.