New Delhi, August 20
The reported threat to Sikhs from militants in Kashmir rocked both Houses of Parliament today as UPA managers asserted that the government would leave no stone unturned to protect the rights and liberty of the minority community in the Valley.

Union Home Minister P Chidambaram told the Upper House that he had spoken to Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who had assured him that every effort would be made to provide adequate protection to Sikhs.

As soon as the Lok Sabha met for the day, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) members Rattan Singh Ajnala and his party colleagues were on their feet, waving copies of a newspaper which reported that Sikhs in the Valley have received anonymous letters from Islamic militants asking them to either embrace Islam and join ongoing protests or pack up.

Speaking in Punjabi, Ajnala recalled the contribution made by the Sikh community in the country’s freedom struggle. “We have shed our blood for India and today the 60,000-strong Sikh community is facing threats from militants. We will not tolerate this,” he said, drawing support from his party colleague Harsimrat Kaur and others.

Associating himself with the sentiments of SAD members, Mirza Mehboob Beg (National Conference) termed the threat by militants as against the ethos of Kashmir.

Responding to the agitating members, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said the Centre was aware of the threats. “Not only Muslims of the Valley but the whole of the country will rise as one to protect the Sikhs,” he said.

Mukherjee said a small section of extremists and terrorists who had vested interests in creating tension were behind the move and the government would take every step to thwart their evil design.

Earlier, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal said the Centre had taken a serious note of this “obnoxious event” and would deal with it.

The issue caused uproar in the Rajya Sabha with the BJP demanding an immediate reply from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the threats to the minority community.

“The Prime Minister has said Kashmir is a part of India, then why are Sikhs being forced to leave the Valley,”BJP member SS Ahluwalia argued.

External Affairs Minister SM Krishna, who was also present in the House, said the protection of minorities was a concern of the government. “We will strive to see that minorities, wherever they are, remain protected. It is a fact that Kashmir is a part and parcel of India, there is no ambiguity and we are not open to any talks on this issue.”

However, Krishna’s assurance did not pacify the members and their protests forced the Chair to adjourn the House. Ahluwalia said the government’s assurance was regarding the protection of the Sikh community while the need of the hour was to create a congenial atmosphere.

The Home Minister later stressed that Sikhs in the Valley need not fear. “We are aware of the so-called threat but there is nothing to fear.”

Later, the matter was raised by BJP’s Rajiv Pratap Rudy during the Zero Hour. SAD member Naresh Gujral also spoke on the matter.

Srinagar, August 20
Even as normalcy returned to Srinagar following a call by separatists today, the curfew was imposed in major towns of the Kashmir valley following the death of two more youths in clashes between protesters and security forces since last night.

While vehicular traffic resumed in the morning, shops and business establishments opened in the afternoon. There was a heavy rush in markets, leading to traffic jams at various places.

The curfew remained in force in Sopore, Baramulla, Pattan, Handwara and Kupwara towns in north Kashmir and the district headquarter towns of Anantnag and Kulgam in south Kashmir,following the death of a youth, Mudassir Nazir, who had received a pallet injury during a clash in Sopore last evening.

The PRO of the CRPF, Prabhakar Tripathy, said a mob attacked troops of the 177 Battalion last evening,injuring Assistant Commandant S K Das.

This prompted the security forces to open fire in which a youth received a pallet injury.He later succumbed to his injuries in hospital.

One person was killed and several others, including some police personnel, were injured in clashes in Beijbehara in Anantnag district this morning. The police said a mob attacked the police station,forcing the police to lob teargas shell and resort to a cane- charge to disperse the protesters. “The miscreants tried to set the police station and the SDPO office on fire by throwing petrol bombs. The policemen had to fire some rubber pallets in self- defence, in which two persons were injured”, a police spokesman said. One of them, identified as Nazir Ahmad, succumbed to his injuries in the local hospital.

Demonstrations were also held in the Khanyar area where the residents alleged that security personnel damaged and ransacked their houses.

Hiranagar (Kathua), August 20
Hundreds of vehicles remained stranded on the Jammu-Pathankot National Highway for over 12 hours today after overnight rain damaged a stretch of the strategic road at Gurha Mundian near Hiranagar Morh of Kathua district,leading to the suspension of traffic on it.

The stretch is in a low-lying area where the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) is constructing a bridge. Though the pressure of water in the nullah was high, no untoward incident was reported. Immediately after the road was washed away, the authorities took up the repair work.Later in the evening, part of the highway beneath the under-construction bridge was opened to traffic.

A large number of vehicles, including those belonging to the Army, were stranded on both sides of Hiranagar town.

Ghanshyam, a truck driver of New Delhi, said:“ I have been stranded here since 5 a.m and waiting for the road to be opened, but some people are saying that the repair work would take a long time.” He added: “I started the journey from Jammu around 4 a.m and have been stuck here for the last eight hours.” Dheeraj, a local resident, claimed that the same stretch was washed away yesterday too. “The repair work was completed yesterday,but the road was again damaged this morning,” he said, alleging, “Either the officials used substandard material or some repair work might have been left”. The supply of essential commodities and newspapers from other states to Jammu via Pathankot was also affected.

Gareeb Dass, SSP, Kathua, said: “The rain which stopped around 8 am led to the suspension of traffic on the National Highway.However, it was resumed in the afternoon.The body of a man flowing in a nullah was seen in the upper reaches of the district.” Sanjeev Verma, Deputy Commissioner, Kathua, said: “The unexpected rain caused hardship to commuters as the stretch of the highway was washed away. The highway is managed by the NHAI.Traffic was resumed within four hours on the one side and the other stretch would be opened by night.”

Meanwhile,two persons were washed away in flashfloods at two different places in Kathua district today, the police said.

The civil administration announced a compensation of Rs 10,000 for the family of deceased.

Jammu, August 20
Hurriyat Conference leader Sayed Ali Shah Geelani’s call to observe strike today in the Jammu region, against the alleged violation of human rights, failed to evoke much response in this side of Pir Panchal.

Except for Kishtwar, Bhaderwah and Banihal where some members of the majority community observed strike, most of the Muslim-dominated areas of the Jammu region remained open throughout the day today. Even residents of Doda city, where the Hurriyat Conference claimed to have a strong following, rejected the strike call and continued their day-to-day activities normally.

The Hurriyat Conference and some other fundamentalist had appealed to people to take out protest demonstrations after today’s prayers in their respective areas.

In the twin border districts of Poonch and Rajouri the call failed to evoke any response. Since morning, shops and business establishments of both the communities remained opened and life functioned normally.

Keeping in the view the holy month of Ramadan, a large number of people offered prayers at various mosques today. The gatherings in mosques of Poonch and Rajouri confined their activities only to the religious purposes.

Similarly, in the Muslim majority areas of Udhampur, Reasi and Kathau districts, the Hurriyat’s call evoked no response. Large number of people turned up in mosques to offer prayers but none of them respond to the call of taking out demonstrations.

The call for strike failed to receive any response in Doda city, which was earlier considered as one of the stronghold of separatists in the Jammu region. Sources said some persons had appealed to people to observe the strike today but there was no taker of their call in the city.

In Bhaderwah town, members of the majority community observed the strike. They took out a protest march which was confined only to a particular area. As Bhaderwah town is known as communally sensitive, heavy deployment of forces was made to avoid any untoward incident. Similarly in Kishtwar, members of a particular community observed the strike and held demonstrations on the premises of the religious place.

Authorities had taken all the preventive measures, keeping in view the strike call given by the Hurriyat Conference. Forces were deployed in the communally sensitive areas and cops were keeping a strict vigil there. 

Jammu, August 20
The Jammu and Kashmir People’s Forum - an umbrella organisation of various groups - has decided to bring all political and social organisations of the Jammu region on a common platform to evolve a consensus to put forth an acceptable solution of the vexed Kashmir problem.

The forum has taken the initiative to unitedly oppose the demand for autonomy.

Earlier, the forum had invited only intellectuals and thinkers of the Jammu region to its programmes, but now it has decided to invite representatives of all political parties to a seminar, scheduled to be held on August 21 on the topic, “Crises in Kashmir: Causes and Remedies”.

“In the prevailing situation when various parties have been floating different solutions for solving the Kashmir problem, we want political groups in the Jammu region to evolve a consensus on that solution which would fulfill aspirations and wishes of the people of this region,” Ravinder Raina, leader of the forum told The Tribune.

For the first time, the forum has invited leaders of the National Conference and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the seminar. “Instead of sticking to the stand of their respective political parties, leaders of the region should give priority to the wishes of the people of this region,” Raina said.

The National Conference has been projecting autonomy as the only viable solution for the state, while the PDP has been claiming that its self-rule proposal would help in establishing lasting and sustainable peace in the state. Instead of presenting a formula for solution of the problem, the Congress leadership has maintained silence over the ongoing developments in the state.

Jammu-based political groups have rejected both the proposals and only reason for inviting the PDP and the National Conference leaders of the Jammu region to the seminar is to impress upon them to convince their leadership to incorporate aspirations of the people of this region also in their respective solutions.

Although chances of the PDP and the National Conference leaders to attend the seminar are bleak, the forum has formally extended an invitation to them for the programme and also asked them to speak during the deliberations. “We are hopeful of their participation in the seminar,” said Raina and argued that political leaders of this region should come on a common platform.

Besides leaders of political groups, representatives of the occupied Kashmir (PoK) refugees, West Pakistan refugees, Chamb refugees, terrorism-affected people, Doda migrants, Kashmiri migrants and Sikh migrants have also been invited to the seminar.

Jammu, August 20
The security forces apprehended a sympathiser of militants from the Dehrai area in Doda district yesterday.

An official note issued here said a joint column of the Rashtriya Rifles and the police apprehended an overground worker of the militants, Sajjad Ahmed (19), from the Dehrai area in Doda district.

Meanwhile, troops of the Rashtriya Rifles, the Territorial Army and the police seized a cache of arms from the Khabbr area, 5 km from Triyath, in Reasi district. The seizure included one remote-controlled IED, one kg of RDX, 211 rounds of AK ammunition, 61 rounds of PIKA ammunition (belted), two AK magazines, one binocular and other miscellaneous items.

Jammu, August 20
Community information centres (CICs), which were set up in every block of the district across the nation two years ago, are presently non-functional in most parts of this state.

The setting up of these centres was a major initiative of the Government of India to take the information technology to the remotest part of the country. However, in the absence of proper facilities, staff and the Internet connectivity through V-SAT, the scheme has failed to provide benefit to students living in rural and remote areas.

According to sources, the CICs were supposed to be operated from the office of the block development officers (BDOs) during office hours on all working days. But most of these offices were either remaining closed when students were approaching them or the staff posted their was not sharing the benefit of the information technology with the students. The sources said a government circular was issued sometime back wherein zonal education officers (ZEOs) were enjoined upon to draw a calendar for visit of high and higher secondary school students to the CIC in consultation with the BDO concerned. The students were supposed to access the facilities free of cost for one hour and download the information pertaining to their relevant subjects. However, the circular could not be implemented as neither the school staff nor the officials working in the BDO’s office were computer savvy, the sources added.

Further, in the absence of proper maintenance, computers and other related accessories were gathering dust in the offfices of the BDOs, even though in some instances, a monthly report submitted by both BDOs and ZEOs showed a “good number” of students visiting these CICs, the sources said. However, Deputy Commissioner, Kathua, Sanjeev Verma, claimed that barring some blocks in his district, where computers got damaged due to lightening, students were religiously visiting such centres.

Jammu, August 20
A heavy rainfall for the last few days has affected the functioning of some government schools located in the low-lying areas.Government Primary School, Udheywala, remained closed today as all the ways leading to the school have been inundated, making it difficult for students to reach the school. Around 60 students are studying in the school.

“The school remained closed today. I waited for students till 12 noon but not even a single student could reach the school because of the heavy rainfall since morning,”said Head Master Ramesh Chander.

A drain, which passes through the school, has become a cause of concern for not only the school but the residents of Basant Nagar also, a locality adjacent to the school.

“The overflowing drain water, carrying filth and garbage, has been accumulating in the school ground since yesterday, thus hindering the movement of students,” said the Head Master.

Anju, a teacher of the school, said it became almost impossible to enter the school during rains.

She said, “We informed the Zonal Education Planning Officer that the students are not coming to the school due to continuous rainfall. He has directed us (teachers) to report at the government school at Patta Bohr, as we could not remain absent from our duty.”

A parent of a student said the school confronted this problem every year during the monsoon. However, despite knowing the fact, the authorities concerned are paying no heed towards it.

“Our children are losing the important days of their education as they could not cross the overflowing drain during the rainy season”, he said. He added the authorities concerned should construct concrete embankment on the drain so that the water could not enter into the school premises.

Meanwhile, the heavy rain also hindered the functioning of the Government Higher Secondary School, Domana, as the water was leaking from the roof of the classes.

Jammu, August 20
The president of the Army Wives’ Welfare Association (AWWA), Northern Command, Ritu Jaswal, inaugurated the week-long celebrations at the Udhampur military station yesterday.

As part of AWWA Week, an interaction with Veer Naris of Udhampur district was organised under the aegis of the Family Welfare Organisation (FWO), Northern Command.Veer Naris, from far-flung areas of Udhampur district, were invited with an aim to making them aware of various steps being undertaken by the Central and state governments and the Army for their betterment and a secure future.

Ritu expressed gratitude to the Veer Naris and took the opportunity to initiate concrete efforts towards addressing their problems.

A medical and dental camp was also held on the occasion. Representatives of various offices like the Zila Sainik Board, the Pension Board, the Director, Resettlement, Placement Node and Ex-servicemen Helpline also interacted with the Veer Naris to educate them on important issues like government jobs, employment and self- employment opportunities. At the end, Ritu felicitated them.

A more festive look to the celebrations is being given through a special screening of movies for the families at the Dhruva auditorium.