Jammu, January 11
Pakistan again violated the ceasefire, leading to the killing of a BSF jawan in Sabjian in the Poonch sector today.

Simultaneously, Pak militants tried to intrude into the Indian territory from the Alpha Machil border outpost (BOP) near the Kanachak sector, west of Jammu, around 12.30 a.m today,but BSF jawans foiled the attempt.

The BSF jawan was killed in cross-border firing along the LoC in Poonch district,the Jammu- based Defence PRO, Lt-Col Biplab Nath, told The Tribune, and added it was another ceasefire violation by Pakistan. “We will take up the matter at the appropriate level”, added Nath.

Official sources said after Pak troops resorted to unprovoked firing, the alert BSF jawans retaliated and the exchange of fire continued for half an hour in which BSF jawan Shurvir Singh was killed.

They said two rockets were also fired at the forward post, but they missed the target.

In a separate incident, Pak militants yet again tried to infiltrate into Indian territory from the Alpha Machil BOP in the Kanachak sector,but the attempt was foiled by the BSF, DIG BSF JB Sangwan told The Tribune.

Taking advantage of dense fog, the militants managed to come up to the barbed fence and were cutting it when BSF jawans noticed them and opened fire.The intruders also resorted to firing and after half an hour,the militants fled, added Sangwan.

“There was no casualty or injury on our side, but the possibility of at least two of the infiltrators suffering injuries could not be ruled out”, he added.

However, the official sources neither confirmed nor denied the involvement of Pak troops in the gunfight.

Meanwhile, the police last evening arrested two Kashmiri youths near the international border in the Kanachak sector.They were identified as Zahoor Ahmed of Awantipora and Irshad Ahmad of Budgam.

Jammu, January 11
The much-touted disciplinary committee constituted by Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief Saifuddin Soz to recommend action against dissidents has allegedly been adopting a discriminating attitude towards party leaders, who had contested the last Assembly elections as rebel candidates.

On the one hand the committee has taken those rebels back into the party who are known for their allegiance to Soz, while those belonging to the rival factions are not allowed to even enter the party office. Shiv Dev Singh, who contested the elections from the Nagrota segment as a rebel candidate, has been participating in all important meetings while the committee has recommended action against those had followed the same path in the last Assembly elections but belong to the rival faction.

The entry of Ashok Sharma, Babu Singh, Balwan Singh and RS Pathania, who had contested the Assembly elections as Independent candidates, to the party office has virtually been banned. During an important meeting at the PCC headquarters recently, a party worker, who had contested the Assembly election as a rebel, was directed to leave the meeting.

Congress sources said the aim of the disciplinary committee was just to nail the detractors of Soz. It had been stalling the homecoming of Ashok Sharma, Balwan Singh, Babu Singh and RS Pathania, who had proved their potential and mass following in the Assembly elections. These four rebels belong to the anti-Soz faction and the disciplinary committee had been working overtime to stall their homecoming.

The sources said Hari Singh, convener of the committee, a staunch Soz loyalist, and the committee had already prepared a charge sheet against these rebels.

Recently, Sardari Lal Dubey joining the party also reflected double standards being adopted by the party in dealing with the dissidents. Dubey, who was the Congress candidate in the 1996 Assembly elections from the Reasi segment, had contested the last election as a Panthers Party candidate after quitting the party just before the Assembly elections.

PCC spokesman Ravinder Sharma, however, denied the disciplinary committee had been adopting different yardsticks to deal with the dissidents. “Those rebels who worked with the official Congress candidates in the Lok Sabha elections are allowed to participate in the party function,” he said. 

Jammu, January 11
The National Secular Forum (NSF) has threatened to stall the entire Jammu University examination process scheduled to start from January 14.

Addressing a press conference here today, president of the forum Vikas Sharma warned that if the accused in the marks tampering and mass copying cases were not booked and punished by the authorities concerned, the organisation would not allow the conduct of the examinations.

Sharma said students had been agitating for the past 25 days as “malpractices prevalent in the examination system” were tarnishing the image of the varsity,besides defeating the purpose of education.

He stated that society in general and students in particular had lost faith in the system and examinations did not make any sense if action was not taken against the employees involved in corrupt practices.

“We have decided to oppose the conduct of examinations from January 14 onwards till the Vice-Chancellor clears the mess prevailing in the varsity,” he added and appealed to the Chancellor of the varsity to take cognizance of the matter. He further asked the Vice- Chancellor as to why he was not making any statement on the issue.

“Currently, every student associated with the varsity is worried over the state of affairs in the system. Further, the idea of establishing a police post on the campus has been adding salt to the wounds,” Sharma said. 

Jammu, January 11
A majority of government schools have started conducting extra/additional classes for weak students who have to appear in board exams, scheduled in March.

The extra classes for Class XII students have been started as they have completed their pre-board exams whereas Class X students have to appear in pre-board exams next month after which their classes would be conducted.

“These classes help such students overcome their weaknesses in a particular subject in which they are weak,” said J.K.Sudan , Principal of Ranbir Higher Secondary School.

He said orders had been issued to the teachers for conducting extra classes during their vacant periods or after completing their classes.

“Last year, our school achieved more than 50 per cent pass percentage in Class X and more than 60 per cent in Class XII. This year, we are putting extra efforts by conducting extra classes to bring good result in both classes,” said the Principal.

Around 20 per cent to 25 per cent students of Class XII were found week in different subjects this time and efforts were being made to enable them to qualify board examinations with good pass percentage, added Sudan.

Expressing similar views, Vishnu Gupta, Principal, Domana Government Higher Secondary School, said extra classes were not restricted to the weak students only.

“Though it is compulsory for weak students to sit in extra classes, other students too can sit in extra classes according to their wish,” said Gupta, and added besides, helping such students comprehend weak areas in a particular subject, these classes also gave an opportunity to other students to revise the whole syllabus and to those students, who had missed their classes earlier due to some reason.

The syllabus of Class X had been completed on time whereas the syllabus of Class XII would be completed till the first week of next month.

“We have completed around 80 per cent syllabus of Class XII and efforts are being made to complete the remaining syllabus till the first week of February,” said Gupta.

Jammu, January 11
In support of the strike call given by the Pahari Speaking Students Union (PSSU), a sister organisation of the Jammu and Kashmir Pahari Cultural and Welfare Forum, in support of their demand for the Scheduled Tribe status, students held protests and rallies in different places in the Jammu region today.

Rallies were held at Mendher, Rajouri and Sunderbani. Students also staged a dharna at Sunderbani and blocked the Jammu-Poonch National Highway for about an hour.

Under the patronage of the Jammu and Kashmir Pahari Cultural and Welfare Forum headed by former minister Mushtaq Ahmed Bukhari, Pahari-speaking students held a protest rally at Mendhar. The protest was led by Mehmood Iqbal Khan and the students raised slogans demanding the Scheduled Tribe status to Pahari-speaking people. They also threatened to launch a statewide agitation the government remained silent on the issue for long.

A protest was also held at Degree College, Rajouri, where Tariq Khan and Syed Mughal led the protest. Meanwhile, students of Sunderbani staged a dharna on the Jammu-Poonch highway and blocked vehicular traffic for about an hour.

Meanwhile, addressing the students’ rally, provincial president of the forum Mohammad Azam Sagar said they were united to fight for getting justice to the community. He said their demand was genuine and state and Central governments had acknowledged it. He said students were the force of the nation and they could struggle to get their rights.

Srinagar, January 11
Normal business activity resumed in Lal Chowk today, which had come to a standstill following the suicide attack resulting in the killing of two holed-up militants in a hotel after a 22-hour long encounter with the police here on January 7. Traffic also plied normally on Jehangir Chowk through Budshah Chowk to M A Raod leading to Dalgate after five days of trouble due to the encounter and protests that followed.

All shops and business establishments reopened this morning after these were closed with the beginning of the gunfight between the militants and the police on Wednesday afternoon. The affected markets in and around Lal Chowk included Kokar Bazaar, Court Road, Maisuma, Budshah Chowk and Regal Chowk along the Residency Road.

Even as the encounter ended on January 7, the shops in the adjacent localities were not being opened by traders. They had been demanding the shifting of a CRPF camp from the location of the Palladaium cinema, which had become a regular target of militants in the area. The traders had urged the government to shift the CRPF camp, as it was regularly being targeted by militants, thus disturbing normal life and business activities in the area.

Shops and business establishments reopened today after the Kashmir Traders and Manufacturers Federation (KTMF) was assured by the government that the issue would be taken up with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. The assurance came at the meeting of the traders with the Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, Nasir Aslam Wani, accompanied by the Minister of State for Health and Medical Education, Javed Ahmad Dar, and senior officers of civil and police administration here yesterday.

While business activities were shut in the area for the past five days, clashes between protesting youth and the police over the death of a youth, Inayat Ahmad Khan, allegedly in CRPF firing, also disrupted normal life in the area during the past five days.

Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner MA Kakroo today visited the residence of Inayat of Malateng, and handed over an ex-gratia of Rs 1 lakh to the bereaved family.

The Deputy Commissioner assured them of all benefits under the relevant SRO. Earlier, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had sanctioned financial assistance of Rs 1 lakh in favour of the family.

The Chief Minister also directed the Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar, for preparing the case under SRO-43 for the benefit of the bereaved family.

Jammu, January 11
Activists of the Students Scholars Joint Action Committee (SSJAC), an amalgam of different student organisations, today burnt the effigy of authorities of Jammu University against their decision to establish a police post on the campus here.

Terming it as an act of dictatorship, the students said to depute policemen inside the campus without the consent of students, teachers and non-teaching staff was shocking.

They added the university would spend Rs 70 lakh for providing infrastructure to cops and Rs 10 lakh per month for their salaries, all other expenses will also be paid by the administration. While the huge amount would be spent on non-academic activity, nothing would be spent on solving the problems like shortage of girls’ hostel, well-furnished class rooms, toilets, library facilities, etc.

“The cops inside the campus are not basically for security purpose, but to crush the voice of students’ community who point out the bungling, misuse of funds, misuse of power and illegal appointments. But we will always oppose the authorities for their malafide intentions,” said, Mohinder Pal Singh Pandu, an activist of SSJAF.

Udhampur, January 11
About 129 cases were settled in the lok adalat held at the district court complex here today. Principal District and Sessions Judge AK Sharma presided over the event.

Two benches were constituted to deal and settle the cases referred to the lok adalat by different courts of the district. The first bench, comprising Chief Judicial Magistrate, Udhampur, AK Sharma and advocate ID Sharma, dealt with criminal matters referred by the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate and Munsif JMIC, Udhampur. The bench settled 14 cases.

The second bench, comprising District Judicial Mobile Magistrate Arvind Sharma and Munsif Judicial Magistrate Vinod Kumar Bhagat, dealt with the matter related to traffic challans. It settled 115 cases. An amount of Rs 35,700 was realised as fee.

The Chairman Distrcit legal Services Authority, Udhampur, appreciated the pragmatic approach of the District Bar Association and litigants in settlement of the cases. Next similar adalat will be held on February 9, 2010.

Jammu, January 11
A group of 17 students from Assam who are on a week-long national integration tour of Jammu and Kashmir met Governor N. N. Vohra at Raj Bhavan here this evening.

The tour has been organised by the 315 Field Regiment of the Army under Operation Sadbhavna.

Interacting with the students, the Governor enquired from them about their experience of the train journey from Assam to Jammu, the places they had visited so far and the experiences they had gained during the tour.

The students said for many of them it was their first visit to any place outside Assam and thanked the Army for providing them this opportunity.

The Governor also presented gifts to the students who arrived here yesterday and visited the 16 Corps Headquarters today. They also interacted with their counterparts at Sainik School, Nagrota, and visited Bahu Fort, Raghunath temple and other places of historical and cultural interest here.

Udhampur, January 11
The State Road Transport Corporation (SRTC) today started nine new bus services for better connectivity in Kishtwar district.

The commuters were having a tough time as just four SRTC buses were plying in the district earlier.

Deputy Commissioner GR Bhagat and area MLA Sajjad Ahmed Kitchloo flagged off the new buses from Kishtwar. A total of 34 new buses each having 26 seats have been started by the SRTC in the erstwhile Doda district which included newly carved districts of Kishtwar, Ramban and Doda. In the absence of adequate number of buses, the people had to depend on private transport, mainly matadors.

The immediate reason to strengthen the fleet of the state-owned buses is to prevent overloading which is considered to be a major cause of many accidents that have taken place in the area in the past. “With new buses, the government has fulfilled the long-pending demand of the residents. We hope that the commuting in the district will become comfortable now,” said Kitchloo.