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Yet another intrusion attempt
Students protest proposal
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BJP to protest against price rise
Number of active militants
Basu a ‘symbol of democratic values’
MLA conducts surprise check at Nari Niketan
Varsity misleading people: NSF chief
Valley traders threaten to suspend cross-LoC trade
MC staff go on strike
Slathia’s rival to join Cong on Jan 20
Crucial APHC meeting on Wednesday
Hideout busted in
Kishtwar
Complete projects, direct ministers
Army flags off educational tour
Suicide bid
Tribune staffer bereaved
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Yet another intrusion attempt
Jammu, January 18 Official sources said amidst thick fog and poor visibility, a group of militants entered the Indian territory around 8.30 am and came close to the barbed wire fence near the octroi border outpost in the Suchetgarh area. They also succeeded in cutting at least three wires before being spotted by alert BSF jawans. The jawans immediately fired at the intruders, who fled back to Pakistan. The sources said during a search of the area, the BSF jawans found footprints of the militants and three damaged wires of the fence on Pakistan’s side. Similarly, at around 10.05 am suspected militants resorted to firing near the Bakarpur border outpost in the same RS Pura sector, but the BSF jawans retaliated. However, DIG, BSF, Jammu Frontier, JB Sangwan said only one such incident happened near the octroi post in the Suchetgarh forward defence location. There was a short exchange of fire which forced the intruders to retreat, he added. There was dense fog in the area and the visibility was just 10 metres, he said, adding that BSF jawans on patrol duty noticed some suspicious movement near the Suchetgarh post. They challenged the intruders, who resorted to firing forcing the BSF jawans to retaliate. In another incident, BSF jawans resorted to preventive firing near the Tent border outpost in the Kanachak sector late last night. The sources said, there was a suspicious movement near the outpost, to which BSF jawans on patrol duty resorted to preventive firing. The DIG said in the wake of increased infiltration bids on the international border, vigilance had been increased to the optimum and the BSF put on a high alert all along the IB. However, he refused to divulge the operational details.
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Students protest proposal
Jammu, January 18 The protesters raised slogans against the deployment of police personnels in the educational institution. They were apprehensive, that with the deployment of security personnels, they would be unnecessarily harassed. “We reject the logic of university authority that there is a threat of terrorist attack. University also claims that there would be a check on the growth of criminal elements, but if there are students with criminal background, they should be expelled,” the protesters said. They demanded that action should be taken against those who have been vitiating the atmosphere of varsity, instead of setting up a police post at the campus. “The armed people represent one of the most patriarchal section of the society.There is already university security force at the campus. So I think there is no need of armed police force,” said Sakshi, a protesting student. “ Spending such a large amount of money in such activities will definitely put burden on the students by resulting into fee hike in near future,” alleged sapna, another protester. The protesting students demanded that the police should not be posted at the campus, as it would encroach upon their rights. |
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BJP to protest against price rise
Jammu, January 18 Manhas, while addressing his first press conference after his election as state president, said the prices of essential commodities had gone up manifold, but the Congress-led UPA was least bothered about it. “Today, not only poor but also a middle class Indian is finding it very difficult to manage two-time meals, leave aside other luxuries of life”, he said, and alleged that the UPA regime was hand in glove with hoarders and big business houses. Releasing a pamphlet containing the prices during the BJP-led NDA and the present Congress-led UPA, Manhas said it was not for the first time that the prices had gone up. The past records showed that whenever the Congress came to power, it focused on how to benefit a handful of big business houses, hoarders and blackmarketers, as a result of which prices shot up. The BJP chief said the people who were the most sufferers were the best judge and there was a dire need to unite masses against the anti-people policies of the UPA. “If still we remain silent, the day is not far when the people will be committing suicides due to starvation as they will not be in a position to purchase any food item”, he predicted. Manhas further said the BJP was committed to raise voice against the price rise and the party, besides coming on the issue, would also raise it in the coming session of Parliament and the State Assembly.
— TNS |
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Number of active militants
Jammu, January 18 Nobody seems to have an exact answer to the question. However, from police and Army officials to the Chief Minister, Home Minister and the Defence Minister are answering the question with “surety”. The fact is that this figure (700) of active militants has been repeated so many times that it seems funny now. Defence Minister AK Antony and Army Chief Deepak Kapoor said in New Delhi a few days ago that around 700 terrorists were active in the state. The Army Chief had said the same number last year also. GOC-in-C, Northern Command, Lt-Gen PC Bhardwaj said on January 15, 2009, that infiltration had been declining since 2004, but about 600 to 800 terrorists were active in the state. “About 600 to 800 terrorists are active in the state as per the reports of various security agencies,” he had told mediapersons. He again reiterated the same number on August 26, 2009. “Nearly 650 to 700 terrorists could be active in the state and the Army was prepared to eliminate them. However, the number of foreign terrorists operating in the state has come down,” he had said. On November 1 last year, Lt-Gen Bhardwaj’s successor Lt-Gen BS Jaswal had said the figure of 700 was a rough estimate and underlined that there was no confirmed mechanism to assess the exact figure. He had added only five out of 100 intelligence reports could be trusted. DGP Kuldeep Khoda had quoted the same figure in an interview with The Tribune at the year-end. He said there were about 700 terrorists active in the state. “It sounds funny that the number has not changed even though we often hear claims that infiltration bids were foiled and over 300 militants were killed. The figure should have come down,” said an official involved in counter-insurgency operations.
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Basu a ‘symbol of democratic values’
Jammu, January 18 Prominent among those who paid tributes were Mangat Ram Sharma, former Deputy Chief Minister, SS Slathia, Minister for Industries and Commerce, Sheikh Abdul Rehman, president of the Samajwadi Party, Ajay Sadhotra, NC leader and MLC, Devinder Rana, political adviser to Chief Minister, Hakim Mohammad Yasin, former minister and president of the People’s Democratic Front, Peer Mohammad Hussain, PDP leader and former minister, Bharat Bushan, MLA, Jugal Kishore, former minister, AR Takroo and Kamal Dev, CPI leaders, Sham Prasad Kesar, CPM leader, Balraj Puri, eminent human rights activist. All speakers described the departed leader as a symbol of democratic and secular values, who played a prominent role in bringing together democratic forces for strengthening the federal structure and reshaping Centre-state relationship. Being committed to the ideology of scientific socialism, he made rich contribution in strengthening the plural and secular ethos by mobilising larger sections of political opinion of the country. His life long struggle for the advancement of the cause of people would be remembered for long time to come, the leaders said. The meeting concluded by adopting a resolution moved by CPM leader Ghulam Nabi Malik.
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MLA conducts surprise check at Nari Niketan
Jammu, January 18 The MLA interacted with children and distributed sweets among them. Children apprised him of their problems. Jan sanctioned a computer and two water geysers for them. He also inspected the kitchen and living rooms to get first hand information of their living conditions. He directed the superintendent of the Nari Niketan to give due preference to health and hygiene of the inmates. He also directed the superintendent to develop a feeling for competition amongst them by arranging sports facilities and other competitions in the hostel. |
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Varsity misleading people: NSF chief
Jammu, January 18 Addressing a media conference here, NSF president Vikas Sharma alleged that the varsity was misleading the people in the name of enquiry. He said: “The university authorities maintain that the case of marks tempering was being examined by the forensic experts, but seven months have passed, without any outcome”. He alleged that the varsity authorities’ assertion in the press that those responsible for mass copying in the B.Ed annual examinations had been expelled was a lie as only one person had been scrutinised so far. |
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Valley traders threaten to suspend cross-LoC trade
Srinagar, January 18 The valley traders complained the exporters in Amritsar were creating hurdles by forcing the deputy director of the quarantine department to ban the import of certain items from the PoK. “It is on the behest of Amritsar traders that the quarantine department has banned various items that were being imported by the valley traders. They started with banning the import of ginger. Even as the cross-border trade started on October 21, 2008, the ban on the import of ginger had been there since 2006, and they modified the notification and banned its import further,” said Hilal Turki, chief spokesman for the Islamabad Chakothi Traders Union, at a press conference in Srinagar today. The Kashmir traders have threatened to discontinue trading if the government fails to lift the ban on the import of certain items. The cross-LoC trade that was initiated between the two sides through the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad route had seen various ups and downs and the latest being the threat by Kashmir traders to suspend trading. Hilal said though the trade was primitive, as it was based on the barter system, the traders on both sides still joined it in hope that it would benefit people. “Both countries agreed to exchange 21 items, but slowly the two regions started banning some items. Most of the commodities were banned by the Indian government saying they carried diseases, but nothing was proved. Even a few days before the start of the holy month of Ramzan, the Indian government banned the import of dates, as it knew that dates would be consumed in a large quantity during Ramzan,” Hilal said. The traders said during the past two months they had suffered a loss of more than Rs 80 lakh due to the ban. They added that hundreds of youth in the Kashmir valley were associated with the trade and if the government did not lift the ban, they were likely to lose their jobs. The traders blamed various lobbies for the ban. They served an ultimatum to the government to restore the trade of all 21 items, lest they would be forced to launch a protest and suspend the trade indefinitely. The traders also said the government should remove the standing operating procedure (SOP), as it was acting as a major impediment in the trade between the two sides. “There is no communication link between the two sides and time allowed for crossing the LoC is also less. This makes labourers work in haste, often resulting in damage to goods. The government should immediately revoke the SOPs from the trade,” Hilal said.
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MC staff go on strike
Srinagar, January 18 The work of the SMC remained suspended as the employees protested against the government for its failure to fulfil the commitments made to them in 2005. Haji Bashir, president of the Srinagar Municipal Employees Union, said, "the municipality of the city was reorganised from the council to the corporation, but no infrastructure was provided to the employees. Though the deputy chief minister had agreed to provide the basic infrastructure, but nothing has been done so far, forcing us to leave the work and protest in support of our long-pending demands”. The SMC looks after an area of around 300 square km, but it lacks the basic infrastructure for the work to be conducted smoothly. The employees in the past, too, have been holding protests, forcing the government to fulfil their demands. The corporation employees suspended all the work in the city, including the revision of the electoral rolls and the work of photo identity cards. "The revision of the electoral rolls was going on and we were also engaged in making the photo cards. But from today, we have stopped the work, and no SMC employee would make the card and would revise the electoral rolls," Bashir Ahmed said. He said if the government did not listen to their grievances, the employees would continue with their strike. "The sanitation of the city is in bad condition and the city is on the brink of an epidemic, but we are not to be blamed for that, as the SMC here lacks the required infrastructure," Bashir said. He said the employees were on the road to protest against the indifferent attitude of the state towards the employees of the corporation. “We are not asking for something big.We just want the government to implement the promises made during the reorganisation of the municipal council to the municipal corporation," he said. Meanwhile, due to their strike, the city has been converted into a garbage pool, as heaps of garbage could be seen on roadsides.
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Slathia’s rival to join Cong on Jan 20
Jammu, January 18 Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is scheduled to address the NC rally, while union minister Prithvi Raj Chauhan, along with Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief Saifuddin Soz and a battery of state Cabinet ministers, will participate in the function of former minister and PDP leader Manjit Singh, who will formally join the Congress on January 20. Putting all speculations to rest, Manjit Singh, a prominent PDP leader, confirmed that he would join the Congress at a function at Vijaypur on January 20. All senior leaders of the party were likely be present at the function. Sources said the NC leadership, especially Industries and Commerce Minister Surjit Singh Slathia, was not happy with the decision of the Congress to rope in Slathia and Manjit are political rivals in the Vijaypur Assembly segment. In 1996, Slathia had defeated Manjit by a narrow margin of 200 votes. Manjit settled score in the 2002 Assembly elections by defeating Slathia. Slathia again won the last Assembly elections, and Manjit finished third behind BJP candidate Chander Prakash. The sources said Slathia had intentionally decided to organise a function for the Chief Minister on the day when Congress leaders would formally admit Manjit into the party. Slathia was making all-out efforts to make his rally a success and grand show of strength. For Manjit also, the scheduled rally is a matter of prestige, as after losing the Assembly elections in year 2008, he is organising a public meeting in his constituency for the first time. Being a mass leader, Manjit is also trying to impress the Congress leadership by organising a show of strength. |
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Crucial APHC meeting on Wednesday
Srinagar, January 18 The Mirwaiz, who along with other top leaders of the APHC had been in Delhi since January 5, returned here on Saturday. An APHC spokesman said an important meeting of the Hurriyat Conference leaders would be held at the party headquarters at Rajbagh on January 20. During their visit to the Capital, the Hurriyat delegation led by its chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, had meetings with the Ambassador of Pakistan, and visiting leaders,including the Speaker of the Pakistan Parliament, Fehmeeda Mirza, in on January 6. The delegation also met the diplomats from other countries, including the US, UK, Germany, France and Iran. Others in the delegation included Abdul Ghani Bhat and Bilal Lone. Among other things, the general council meeting would discuss the reorganisation of the APHC, which had already been under its consideration for the past about two months.The re-organisation had been taken up following discussions over the Centre’s offer of a “quiet dialogue” with the separatist leadership in Kashmir. While the hardline leader, Syed Ali Geelani, has been averse to the dialogue process, some of the close associates of the moderate APHC chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, including Shabir Ahmad Shah and Nayeem Ahmad Khan, had also been averse to the “quite dialogue and diplomacy”. The discussions within the Hurriyat Conference over the “quiet dialogue” with the central government suffered a setback with an attack on its senior leader and strong supporter of the talks process, Fazal-ul-Haq Qureshi, on December 4 last year. Meanwhile, the Mirwaiz has also condemned the alleged excesses, harassment and human rights violations at the hands of security forces during search operations across the valley over the past few weeks. He condemned the killing of Inayat Ahmad Khan, who died in a firing in Srinagar early this month following the Lal Chowk attack.
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Hideout busted in
Kishtwar
Jammu, January 18 The seizure has averted a major tragedy in the backdrop of the ensuing R-Day celebrations. Acting on specific information, a major search operation was launched in the Pyas area, 32 km from Kishtwar, at about 10.30 am. A huge quantity of weapons, including six anti-tank rifles having a length of 1.5-foot and weighing about 2.5 kg were recovered from the hideout. A
senior police officer said six anti-tank rifles, six wireless sets, 2
UBGL grenades and two hand grenades were recovered from the spot. “We
got a tip-off about the militants and found a huge quantity of modern
weapons from the hideout of the militants. All these weapons could have
led to a major tragedy,” said ML Thakur, DSP, Kishtwar. The area was
the most affected during the peak of militancy. “I have never heard
that anti-tank rifles have earlier been recovered by the state police,
especially in this area. This is a major recovery and has been made for
the first time in the past 20 years,” said Thakur, and added “Mostly
Lashker-e-Toiba (LeT) militants used such weapons in the Kashmir valley
in the past.” The police said there was no need to get panicky and
it was searching other areas and foolproof security arrangements had
been done to defeat the nefarious designs of militants. IGP, Jammu zone, Ashok Gupta, also described it as an important development in the Jammu region. |
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Complete projects, direct ministers
Srinagar, January 18 They stressed the need to speed up the completion of all projects to utilise the already allotted funds. Minister for Public Health Engineering (PHE) Taj Mohi-ud-Din, who is also chairman of the DDBK, while reviewing the progress of development works of the current Annual Plan in the DDBK meeting at Kupwara, said 10 targeted water supply schemes would be completed this year to provide portable water to people in the border district.“Six new water supply tankers will be purchased to provide water supply to people during peak hours,” the minister said. Minister of State for PHE and Tourism Nasir Aslam Wani, who is also vice-chairman of the DDBK, assured that to utilise the funds of central schemes in a better way in social sectors, including rural development, education, health, the Chief Minister would be requested to engage local skilled youths on a contractual basis as there was a ban on engaging people on a regular basis. |
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Army flags off educational tour
Jammu, January 18 The children from far-flung border areas of Poonch district will get an exposure to the development and will get to see quality of life and historical places of interest. The tour will also instill a sense of awareness and national integration among the children. During the tour, the children will be visiting INS Mumbai, Naval Dockyard, Gateway of India, Nehru Planetarium, Marine Drive, Haji Ali and Essel world in Mumbai and the National Defence Academy, College of Military Engineering, Army Sports Institute, Bajaj Auto Factory, TELCO, Infosys/Wipro and the Kelkar Museum in Pune. |
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Srinagar, January 18
