Srinagar, July 17
Usually it is the police which chases the criminals, but in Kashmir for the past few days stone-throwers are chasing and targeting policemen.

Police personnel, who proceed on leave to their hometown or are travelling in mufti, are these days being targeted by stone-throwers. They stop passenger vehicles at certain places and check the identity cards of the passengers. If they find any policeman among the passengers, they make him alight from the vehicle and thrash him mercilessly.

The stone-throwers not only check the identity cards of the passengers but have also at certain places set up nakas to check the identity cards of the passersby. On finding a policeman they attack him.

Jammu, July 17
Already 120 hours into the operation since July 13, two more soldiers, including a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO), were today injured in a brief gun battle with heavily armed terrorists hiding in Beri Rakh forest of the Mendhar sector in Poonch district, 230 km north of Jammu..

“The troops established contact with the militants twice early this morning in the Beri Rakh forest and they tried to break the cordon by opening fire on the troops. In the brief exchange of fire, JCO Vijay Kumar and Lance Naik Gandhi Vanka were injured,” said Brigadier General Staff of 16 Corps, Brig Satish Dua.

The injured were admitted to a military hospital, he said, adding that the operation was on to track down the ultras. Defence sources said with siege in place the remaining ultras, suspected to be two in number, kept quite during nights apparently in a bid to ensure that they did not run out of ammunition.

“The forest is dense and they are trying to escape but the troops are also scanning the area thoroughly to gun them down,” said sources. But now the troops are moving cautiously deep inside to avoid possible booby traps in deep woods, they added.

SSP, Poonch, Manmohan Singh said intelligence reports initially suggested the presence of five militants in the forest. “Two were gunned down and it seems two more are still there,” he added.

With two more soldiers getting injured today, the total number of Army men injured in the protracted gun battle went up to 11.

The condition of four of them is stated to be critical. The anti-terrorist operation was launched by 37 Rashtriya Rifles troops following inputs about the infiltration of a group of 10 to 12 ultras in the Mankote forest belt in the Mendhar sector on July 13.

Jammu, July 17
At least eight pilgrims, including three women and three children, from Kanpur were trapped in a flash flood in the Tawi, near the Har Ki Pouri temple, here today.

Around 20 pilgrims reached the temple around 11:30 am today after paying obeisance at Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine in Katra. Of them, eight went into the river to find some holy stones.

As soon as they entered the river, the water level rose suddenly. They rushed towards a small island to save their lives. The water level in the river increased instantly due to downpour in the upper reaches of Udhampur. Earlier also, similar types of incidents have taken place in the river due to a sudden rise in the water level.

Rajesh Tiwari, who runs a small business in Kanpur and whose two sons, a daughter, wife, a brother, sister-in-law and two neighbours were trapped in the flash flood, said, “Some locals told us to find a holy stone like Shiva Lingam from the river. Acting upon their advice, my family members along with a neighbour entered the river. But suddenly the water level started increasing and we were trapped,” said Rajesh, who was on the banks of the river.

He further said they immediately informed the police and a rescue party reached there and started a rescue operation. But finding that the trapped persons were at a distance, the police decided to summon helicopter services to save them.

Meanwhile, the Army chopper came around 5:30 pm and the trapped persons were rescued. Those who were rescued are Vinod Tiwari, Rajni Tiwari, Rajesh Yadav, Sunita, Vijeta, Suraj, Vijay and Kapil, all residents of Kanpur.

Jammu, July 17
Already facing criticism from various Jammu-based parties for allegedly becoming the “B team” of the ruling NC, serious differences have cropped up in the local unit of the BJP as, according to a faction, the state president of the party has been deliberately ignoring senior leaders to strengthen his lobby.

The annoyed faction has decided to bring the matter to the notice of the high command, as some senior leaders have been feeling suffocated due to the behaviour of those at the helm of the affairs.

Sources in the party disclosed that state party president Shamsher Singh Manhas, on the advice of some leaders, has been ignoring a group of party workers and leaders to strengthen his grip over the party. He was also doing this to keep a couple of veteran leaders in good humour who had played a dominant role in his selection as the state party president.

The sources, while quoting recent incidents, said instead of taking all leaders along, Manhas had been projecting only his loyalists. Annoyed leaders have also sounded the party high command about senior leaders, who are committed to the ideology of the party, not being taken into confidence on the issues that were taken up in the recent all-party meeting.

A BJP leader said the party delegation had failed to convincingly put forth its view point in the all-party meeting because those who attended it were neither articulate nor aware of the ground situation.

“Our party leaders attended the all-party meeting only to keep the ruling NC in good humour,” he said, adding that the leaders of the faction were neither invited to the all-party meeting nor included in the delegation which had gone to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during his visit in the Kashmir valley.

This faction has also taken a serious note of the casual approach being adopted by the party in dealing with the case of two girls who have gone missing in the Gulabgarh area of Kishtwar.

The sources said some leaders had expressed resentment over the constitution of a committee for visiting the Gulabgarh area. They added no leader from Doda had been included in the committee and local party activists had shown their resentment in this regard. Despite the seriousness of the case, the party president even did not discuss the matter with veteran party leader Daya Krishan Kotwal, who belongs to this belt.

After maintaining silence for quite some time, the faction has now decided to intensify their activities.

Jammu, July 17
The Rashtriya Swyamsevak Sangh (RSS) has taken a serious note of, what it called, a malicious campaign launched by some vested interest against it.

Senior RSS leader Indresh Kumar, whose name was mentioned in some reports about his alleged involvement in some violent activities in different parts of the country, strongly denied the charges.

Indresh Kumar, who was in Jammu to participate in an RSS function at Kathua, issued a press statement to clarify his position over the reports on some TV channels.

“Alleging the involvement of the RSS in some violent incidents in which my name also figured is a deep rooted conspiracy to defame the nationalist organisation,” he said. He added since its formation in 1925, the RSS had never been found involved in any violent activities.

Kumar said the aim of the RSS was to create patriotism and nationalism in society so there was no question of his involvement in any violent activities. He claimed that selfless services by the RSS had been acknowledged by successive governments in the country. “Neither I nor the RSS believes in violent means. Those who have been dragging me and the organistion’s name in some incidents have been trying to defame the nationalist forces of the country ,” he stated.

Jammu, July 17
Reiterating the commitment of the government to bring transparency in the functioning of the government, Minister for Revenue, Relief and Rehabilitation Raman Bhalla today directed the officers to ensure accountability in the Revenue Department.

Addressing a meeting of the officers at Rajouri, Bhalla said concerted steps had been taken to streamline the functioning of the Revenue Department. He said the government had embarked upon a comprehensive modernisation programme under which the revenue records were being computerised, besides developing modalities for making information easily accessible to public.

Bhalla asked the officers to solve people’s revenue-related problems in a time-bound manner. He said steps were being taken to ensure people did not face any difficulty in getting relevant papers about land records.

The minister said instructions were issued to officers for computerising the revenue record of their respective districts so that the any revenue-related records could be traced easily.

He asked the revenue authorities to issue pass books to the farmers about their ownership rights. He asked the employees to remain present in the offices to serve the people and come up to expectations of the masses.

Bhalla directed the District Development Commissioner, Rajouri, to remove the encroachments from the state land. He added the government was planning to construct public property there.

He asked the illegal occupants to vacate government land voluntarily or face action. He asked the authorities concerned to prepare the record of land, proprietary land and wasteland of their respective districts and inform for further necessary action.

He asked the Collectors to implement instructions in letter and in spirit and also enforce the guidelines of the Jammu and Kashmir Common Land Act by solving revenue-related issues.

Jammu, July 17
A former militant of the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and an overground worker of the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) were detained under the Public Safety Act (PSA) for two years in Reasi and Udhampur districts today.

In an official statement, the police said an overground worker of militants, Abdul Hamid Simbli, of Mahore tehsil in Reasi district was arrested. A huge quantity of arms and ammunition was seized from him. Abdul was associated with the JeM, and he also had links with various other militant groups, it said.

To further discourage him from indulging in militant activities, Abdul has been detained under the PSA on the order of the District Magistrate, Udhampur, for two years.

Similarly, a former terrorist of the LeT, Talib Hussain, alias Abu Kaleem Ullah, who was an accomplice of Abu Jabran and Abu Abran of Pakistan, was also detained under the PSA for two years. Talib was active in Mangnar, Munimal, Ludhar and Mall areas of Gulabgarh and was involved in motivating the local youth to join militancy, said the statement.

Meanwhile, the police and the security forces destroyed two hideouts of terrorists, one in Kangota village and another in the Dalyote forest area in Budhal and Kalakote areas today.

Seizures made from the hideouts included two AK magazines with 60 rounds, 30 rounds of PIKA ammunition, one Chinese grenade, one pouch, one torch, antenna of wireless set, one Chinese pistol with eight rounds, two mines, one SIM card, one mobile battery, 10 pencil cells, dry fruits, cooked food and some Pakistan-made medicines.

Jammu, July 17
The security forces apprehended a top hardcore LeT terrorist, Mohammed Shafi Shah, alias Pathan and Idrees, from Chukron in the Patnazi area of Kishtwar today.

The hardcore ultra hailed from Ashmuqam in Anantnag district. Official reports said that based on a confirmed intelligence input regarding the presence of the terrorist, the Army and the local police launched a search operation in the general area of Patnazi.

During the search operation, the security forces noticed an individual moving under suspicious circumstances.

An AK 56 rifle, three AK magazines with 90 rounds of ammunition, four SIM cards, including one from Pakistan, a mobile phone and one radio set were seized from his possession.

Reports said on being challenged by the troops the terrorist threw away his weapon and tried to escape. The action by the terrorist clearly indicated low morale among them because of intense pressure from the security forces. The relentless pressure by the security forces has already resulted in the complete elimination of the LeT from the Thathri-Bonjwah area of the district.

The LeT cadres, who used to roam with impunity terrorising the local populace, have been completely marginalised and purged. The District Commander of LeT, Ishaq Bhat, alias Atiq, whose writ used to run large among the local people, was kille recently in a well-coordinated operation by the security forces.

Srinagar, July 17
Normal life resumed for the first time this month across the Kashmir valley today after about three weeks of curfew restrictions, prohibitory orders and general strikes.

All shops and business establishments and banks were open and there was full attendance in government offices, while the hectic activity was restricted till the afternoon. There was a heavy traffic on the roads and traffic jams returned to the city routes after a long time. Long queues were found at banks and ATMs for the withdrawal of money, while several people had to return disappointed due to the non-clearance of cheques amid the continued strike. Consumers were seen lined up outside shops in the central market places for necessary purchases, which remained suspended since last month. However, only essential commodities were available at the shops and vends inside residential localities during the strike period.

The situation, like the previous years during the peak summer season, turned bad early last month, following the reports of the killings of three youths from Nadihal and Baramulla in a fake encounter in the Machil sector on the LoC. The first death leading to the series of killings took place on June 11 when Tufail Ahmad Mattoo died due to a tear-gas shell at a playground during clashes in Rajouri Kadal, Srinagar.

Meanwhile, the normalcy may not continue for long as the separatists have announced a series of protest programmes for the next week against the killings. According to the hardline faction of the APHC led by Syed Ali Geelani, a complete shutdown has been called for tomorrow, to be followed by more protests next week.

In view of the week-long programme of protests of the Geelani faction, Kashmir University postponed all examinations scheduled to be held up to July 24.

Fresh dates would be notified separately, public relations officer of the university said here this evening.

Srinagar, July 17
The common man in Kashmir, who has been bearing the brunt of the ongoing turmoil in the Valley for the past one month, is feeling dejected and disappointed over the outcome of the talks between Indian and Pakistan foreign ministers held this week.

“The stakes were quite high and the people of the Valley wanted something concrete to come out of it towards resolving the vexed Kashmir issue, but nothing of that sort has happened,” said Tariq Nabi Rather, a postgraduate student of Kashmir University.

The moderate separatist camp led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq too has expressed dismay over the outcome of the talks and blamed New Delhi for the ‘collapse of the talks’.

He said New Delhi had approached for the talks with a ‘negative attitude, which led to the failure of the talks.”

“It is unfortunate that India is still caught in the words and political jargons and there does not seem any sincerity for resolving the issue (Kashmir). We can only see the dialogue between India and Pakistan moving in the right direction when there are some ground changes in Kashmir,” read a statement issued by the Mirwaiz from his house where he has been under house arrest for the past few days

“To yield any result through the dialogue, India, with an open agenda, sincerity and seriousness, must approach the true leadership of Kashmir and Pakistan. We need to address issues politically, amicably and peacefully, otherwise, we will be back to where we started. Until and unless the core issue of Kashmir is not resolved the dialogue will not yield anything,” he said.

The common man in Kashmir, who has been facing the heat of hostilities between both nations, say there should be a permanent end to the crisis and the Kashmir issue should be resolved for once and for all.

“We Kashmiris have been on the receiving end as so many of our men have lost their lives. This should not become the issue of prestige for the nations. They should rather stand tall and resolve the issue so that we the people of Kashmir, too, can live a peaceful life,” said Showkat Ahmed Nanda, a government employee.

“Children of the leaders, who give strike calls, are safe as they are studying out of the state. It is the common people who are bearing the brunt. We had hopes that the two foreign ministers would come out with something concrete that would provide succour to the people of Kashmir, but nothing of that sort happened. We are dejected and disappointed,” said Muneer Ahmed, a local resident.

Srinagar, July 17
The easy availability of medicines for self-medication is assuming alarming proportions here and acting as one of the major factors leading to drug addiction, say experts.

Bilkis Akther (name changed) has been consuming substances like tranquilisers (sleeping pills) and cough syrups for the past many years. “I am addicted to three bottles of cough syrups every day,” she says. She adds, “After visiting one of the de-addiction centres here, I tried to quit taking drugs. But I couldn’t do so as the cough syrup relieves me of tension and I feel relaxed.”

She suffers from a certain psychological problem. “It is very difficult to handle such patients. They don’t openly come out with facts,” says Aarifa Bano, a counsellor. Abdul Qayoom, a social activist, views the situation in a different manner. “The free sale of medicines creates problems, which needs to be addressed at the earliest. The government has been a mute spectator. Even society has turned indifferent towards such a glaring issue.”

He added that the sale of medicines without a doctor’s prescription should be strictly banned.

Kumar Wanchoo, owner of Eaton Laboratories, believes that affordable medical facilities and the easy accessibility of doctors will help counter self-medication that in a way leads to drug addiction.

“Among the young generation, any sort of mental imbalance leads to the consumption of drugs, tobacco (cigarette-smoking), tranquilisers,” he said, adding,” It can be stopped only through awareness.”

Referring to two cases of drug abuse among women, Dr Arshad Hussain, who teaches psychiatry at Government Medical College here, says both women had some health complications and they took excessive dose of medicines.

Jammu, July 17
Chhattis Parivar at Sunjwan Military Station today kick-started a massive plantation exercise within the premises of the cantonment in collaboration with the District Forest Officer.

During the inaugural ceremony, in presence of the Commander, Sunjwan Military Station, and District Forest Officer, two girls gave an inspiring speech on the preservation of ecosystem. It was followed by plantation of over 1,500 saplings. The inaugural ceremony marked the start of the Van Mahotsava Week, which will be observed till the first week of August.

In his brief speech, the commander of the Sunjwan Military Station said it would have been a herculean task without the support extended by the Forest Department, which provided technical advice during the planning stage and saplings at nominal rates.

The exercise had a hopeful beginning against the odds of water shortage and the rocky terrain in the garrison.

Efforts were put in to transport fertile soil from nearby localities and exploit the premonsoon showers. It has further diversified the station’s ecological system, leaving it richer with varieties of flora, including medicinal and ornamental plants and fruit orchards.

All military garrisons have rich and diverse flora and fauna. This depicts the efforts being put in by the Armed Forces to conserve nature.

Jammu, July 17
The parents of Ajeeb, a student of Class XII at Sunderbani, have demanded a thorough probe into the “kidnapping” of their son, as they claimed that some persons of a nearby village kidnapped him on Thursday night.

The victim’s family alleged that some persons, whom Ajeeb could recognise, kidnapped him on Thursday night when he was returning from Sunderbani to Kangri village on his motorcycle.

Dev Parkash, a former Captain in the Army and maternal uncle of the victim, said Ajeeb had no enmity with anyone in the village but some miscreants or goons kidnapped him and after beating him left in a nullah there.

“When a passerby saw Ajeeb lying in a nullah yesterday, he informed the police, which called us there. The boy was bleeding profusely as he had severe injuries on his body,” said Dev Parkash.

He further said the boy was rushed to the Sunderbani hospital where first-aid was given to him and later referred to the Government Medical College and Hospital, Jammu.

Dev Parkash added the victim received 13 stitches in his head and was recuperating at the GMCH here. He also stated that the police had recorded the statements of the victim and an FIR had been registered.